my soule beholde here howe thy sauyour Iesus entreth vnto his iudgement bounde thurst and many other wayes vexed and all men behelde hym and mockyng hym sayd O Iesu thou art here nowe if thou had ben a prophet thou wolde haue preuyded for this before with many other lyke wordes that those cursed Iues spake then to hym And thus they brought hym bounde and delyuered hym to ponce Pylate the president and hygh iudge of Iury vnder the emperoure of Rome This presentynge vnto Pylate was most greuous of all other vnto Christe fyrste bycause he was presented before that iudge whiche had ful power vnder the emperour to condempne hym vnto the deth Secondly bycause the Iues that presented hym to Pylate dyd presente hym not as to be examyned by Pylate but they delyuered hym vnto Pylate as conuicte and founde gylty by theyr examinacyon and so to be put to y e deth without ony other examinacion or taryeng For they sayd to Pylate If this man were not a mislyuer and so worthy deth we wolde not haue delyuered hym to the. Of this we shall speake more in the next article Thyrdly this presentyng to Pylate was moste greuous to Christe bycause he had ben faty gate and weryed the nyght before many wayes by the crueltye of the Iues and therfore it was moche more payne to hym now to be brought to the iudgement of a pagane and infidele for they brought hym bound to Pylate to be slayne and deuoured by hym whiche was reputed as a dogge amonge the Iues bycause he was a gentyle and not circumcysed as they were ¶ A remembraunce of the mornynge of our Ladye WHen it was publysshed thoroughe out all the cytye of Hierusalem that Iesus was taken and howe that the Iues wolde crucifye hym his moste sorowfull mother the virgine Marye herde therof and so almoste deed for sorowe was led by her systers and other women with vnspeakeable lamentynges wepynges mornynges and syghynges to se her moste derebeloued sonne and so wepynge without ceasyng she sawght hym thorough y e brode stretes and narowe lanes of Hierusalem cryenge and sayenge where is my moste derebeloued sonne where arte thou my most swete Iesu where shal I fynd the who hath taken the from me why may not I dye for the These wordê with other lyke might this most sorowefull mother of Iesu say And whan they came to that place where as they myght se Iesus they seynge hym so bounde so tormented so deformed with theyr spyttynges forsaken of all his disciples dispysed mocked and destitute of all help and solace so shamfully and paynfully with a greate multitude of armed men cruelly led to the tribunall of the wycked Iudge and there to be condempned to the death our ladye with her systers and the other women I saye seynge and considerynge these thynges what heuynes what sorowe and bytternesse were they then fulfylled with it can not be spoken nor expressed by any sentence Also our lorde Iesus seynge and knowynge his mother with the other women in so great sorowe greatly sorowed therof for without doute he had greate compassyon of them and so was greatly greued of this compassyon and most specyally for his most kynd mother for he knewe that her sorowe was almost to the deth as it shall appere in the .lviii. article And as some doctours say there were .xl. seruantes that led Christ from Cayphas house vnto Pylate besydes the greate multitude of people that went with them and there were a thousande passes frome Cayphas house vnto the house of Pylate ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that the secular power is not to be dispised but to be honoured For as saynte Poule sayth there is no power but of god and therfore who so resisteth the power he resisteth the ordinauns of god And therfore as saynt Austen sayth Our lorde god stode before Pylate a gentyle and pagane iudge and spake neuer one word vnreuerently vnto hym So shulde we with reuerence stand before our prelates and iudges though they be not good but euyll and vicyous ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in the firste houre of the day for our helth wolde be presented by the Iues vnto Pylate a pagane iudge graunte to me for the loue of thy name that I dispyse no maner of power but that I may gyue due and worthy honoure to my superiours and to all iudges Amen ¶ Howe the Iues falsely accused Christe before Pylate The .xxii. article THe .xxii. article is the false accusacyon that the Iues made of Christe for whan Christe was brought in to the mote hal and there stode bound before Pylate the iudge the Iues wolde not come in to the mote hall bycause they wolde not be defoyled and made vnclene for that day was theyr Pasch day wherin all the Iues that were clene shulde eate the pure breade that is made of pure where without leuyn and the Iues had this opinyon that yf they came in the house of any gentyle or straunger whiche was not circumcided as they were by that entrance they were made vnclene and so myght not eate of those pure breades vnto suche tyme they were fyrst purifyed And here sayth saynt Austen O wycked blyndnes the Iues feared to entre the house of a straunger bycause they wolde not be contaminate but they feared not to sley theyr innocent brother and also lorde O thou christiane note here howe the Iues kepte them selfe frome all vnclennes that they myghte eate the pure breade of wheate whiche gaue to theym no grace of god for the selfe eatynge moche more then shuldest thou keape thy selfe clenne whiche receyuest the blessed bodye of Chryste the heuenlye breade whiche gyueth to the the eternall lyfe The Iues wolde not entre in to y e iudgmeÌ„t house and thou wylt not auoyd euyl compaigny and tauernes where as oftentymes bene spoken temerary vngodlye iudgementes and also moche blode shedde by false deâ—xaccyons and other wayes Symon de Cassia also sayth here That the Iues of an olde tradycyon and ordynaunce auoyded and shunned the houses of straungers in suche hyghe solempnytyes And so they euer intendynge to suche lyghte and vayne ceremonyes and lytyll regardynge greatter thynges fell in to the deape pytte of greate synnes and Pylate seyng that they wolde not enter in to hym he went forth to them and sayd what accusacyon brynge you agaynst this man And here sayth Symon de Cassya It apperteyneth to the wisdome and iustyce of euery iudge and president not to iudge after the mynde of the accusers excepte theyr accusacyon be probable and true Therfore Pylate wysely dyd inquyre and ordinarylye dyd procede in this cause whan he sayde what accusacyon shewe yow agaynste this man For also by the lawes of the Romaynes no man shulde be condempned to deathe Excepte he be fyrste accused and that proued Also Pylate merueylynge and also moued with displeasure agaynste
but that also the deuotion of the remeÌ„berer be enflamed by loue in his wyl And suerly yf our vnderstandynge do his diligence in the remembraunce of the said passion it shall shortly moue our affection And so the passion of our lord shall nat onely in our cogitacions be remeÌ„bred but also it shal inflame your wyl by compassion pitye Wherunto we be admonysshed by our lord saynge Pone me vt signaculum super cor tuum Put me sayth our lord as a seale vpon thy herte A seale as ye knowe if it be iÌ„prynted in to wax it leaueth in it his image So our lord wolde that his passion shuld be so imprinted in our hertes nat onely be ofte remembraunce but also by deuoute compassion that the prynt and image therof abyde in our affection and feruent desyre so that as Iesus Christe was made reed and blody on the crosse so our deuocion in vs may be made reed and feruent by the vertue of compassion And hereunto we be counselled by the wordes of Moyses saing Sumes de sanguine vituli et pones super coâ—nua altaris That thou shal take of the blode of the calf signifieng the blode of Christe and thou shal put it vpon the corners of the aulter that is vpon thy thoughtê affections with feruent remembrauÌ„ce of the blode of Christe And so we shal fulfyll the admonition of saynt Paule saynge as I sayde before Hoc sentite in vobis quod et in Christo Iesu Feale in your self that Christe Iesu felt And thus we may feele hym in our soule .ii. maner of wayes First by the bitter affection of compassion and that is when we remembre the passion of Christe with so great compassion that it bringeth forth of vs most bytter teares so y t suche a deuoute soule may say with the wise man O mors quam amara est me moria tua O deth howe bitter and sorowfull is thy remeÌ„braunce and specially the remembrauÌ„ce of the deth of Christe Secondly we may feele hym in our hertes or soules by the moste swete and pleasaunt affection of deuotion and that is when we remembre most inwardly depely the great loue and charite of Christ that wolde suffer so greuous paynes and shamefull dethe for so vyle wretches and vnkynde as we be And so this deuout remeÌ„brauÌ„ce bringeth forth of vs most swete teares of deuotion So that we may say that is writen in the boke of Iudith Fontes aquarum ob dulcorati sunt That is the bitter fountayns ben made swete and delectable A figure herof we rede in scripture where as our lord commaunded to Moyses to put a tree that was both longe and bitter in to the water that was so bitter that no man culde drynk therof and so therby the waters were made swet and delectable What is signified by this water but the passion of our lord which is so bitter and paynful that no man may taste therof And by this long and bitter tree is signified the longe and continual remembraunce Whiche if it be ioyned and put to the passion of our lord it shal make it swete and pleasaunt so that the more we taste of it by deuout remeÌ„braunce the more delectable it shal be to vs. And therfore our holy mother the churche sayth in a certen hympne Dulce lignum dulces clauos dulce pondus sustinet That is The swete tree of the crosse susteyneth and bereth a swete burden nayled fast with swete nayles For that whiche was most bitter and paynfull to our sauiour Iesu in his passion somtyme is moste delectable and comfortable to vs in our deuoute meditations These two maners of teares that is bitter and swete sprynge out of this deuout affection of the passion of our lorde And hereunto speaketh saynt Barnarde as we sayd a fore In the remeÌ„braunce of the paynes that my sauiour Iesu sufferd for me I drynke somtyme a draught of holsome bitternes And somtyme agayne I receyue the pleasaunt vnction or oyntment of deuoute consolation ¶ Howe we shuld fele Christes passion in our actes and dedes The thyrde Chapitre THyrdly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our effectes and outward operations That lyke as the deuout remembraunce of Christes passion enflameth our affection and loue inwardly so it myght appere be shewed outwardly in our warkes and lyuing Hereunto we be couÌ„seled by the wyse men sayng Prepara foris opus tuum That is to say Suche deuotion as thou haste inwardly conceyued by affection and loue let it be shewed outwardly in thy dedes For as saynt Gregore sayth the dede outwardly done is a sufficient argumeÌ„t or proue of the inwarde loue So by the inwarde loue of man is shewed or knowen his inwarde compassion Also it is writen in the seconde boke of the kynges Omnia que habes in corde tuo fac quoniam dominus tecum est As if he shulde say what so euer good thynge thou hast conceyued in thy hert shewe it outwarde in thy dedes Also it is writen in Exodo Fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est in monte Performe in thy lyuynge that goodnes whiche thou receyued of god in thy soule And therfore our lorde sayth to vs in his gospel Si quis vult venire post me abneget semetipsum et tollat crucem suam quotidie If any man wyll be my disciple and cum after me let hym denye hym selfe that is forsake his owne wyl and pleasure and take his own crosse that is put his owne body to payne and that dayly For we must coÌ„tinue in penaunce and so folowe Christe in our lyuyng outwardly and nat onely inwardly and hereto saith saint Paule Ostentionem caritatis vestre ostendite in faciem ecclesie That is shewe your good wyl and charitie openly in the face of the churche that is in our werkes in our dedes And saynt Peter sayth Christus passus est pro nobis relinquens exemplum vt s equamini eum Christ hath suffered paynes and deth for vs gyuynge vs example to folowe hym he doth nat say that we shulde haue a wyll desyre only to folowe hym but he sayth playnly that Christe hath left vnto vs an example that we shulde folowe hym in our dedes in sufferynge paynes as he dyd And then it myght be truely sayd of vs that we fele in our selfe that Christe felte whan he suffere lyke paynes as Christe suffred so that by suche sharpe penaunce and harde laboures our bodyes be subdued and our blode minysshed And so the sayng of scripture may be verifyed in vs Effudit sanguinem belli in pace He hath shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace They do shed the blode of battell in the tyme of peace which by sharp penaunce great bodyly labours so subdue theyr bodyes that theyr blode is moche minisshed and theyr face made pale Suche maner of exercises of the
and to the signe of the crosse of the whiche the deuyll is afrayd and by it he is chased away lyke as the dogge is afrayd and fleith away whan he seith a staffe lyfted vp And no meruayll for thorowe the vertue of the passion of Christe the whiche he suffered on the crosse the deuyll was smyten downe and ouercome Herunto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge A voce domini pauebit Assur virga percussus Assur smyten with the rodde of god shall feare the voyce of god Assure is asmoche to say by interpretation as Negotiator a marchaunt that laboureth in many places or labours and it signifieth the deuyll the whiche laboryng and ronnynge about the worlde searcheth whome he myght deuoure he is neuer idle but for as moche as he was ons smyten with the rodde of the crosse in the passion of Christe Therfore he is greatly afrayd whan so euer he seeth the signe of the crosse made of that persone that faythfully calleth on the father on the sonne and on the holy gost saynge In nomine patris et filij et spiritus sancti Moreouer lyke as a knyght or any other valiant man ouercome in battel wolde be ashamed to abyde in that chambre or place where as his falle or vaynquesshynge were paynted so the deuyll ouercome thorowe the passion of Christe wyll in no meanys abyde in that soule where as he seeth the passion of Christe lyuely paynted by diligent remembraunce therof ¶ The .v. profit Erroneorum reuocat pusilla nimitatem THe meditation of the passion of Christe doth call agayne those that bene in erroure For Christe hath made a caller or a lewer of his owne bodye dyed made reed with his owne precious blode to call agayne his hawkes the whiche hath flowen away from the hande of the noble man that is the soule of them that haue forsaken Christe by synne or erroure Of whom the prophet Osee sayth Effraim quasi auis auolauit Effraim hath taken his flyght lyke vnto a wylde hawke Effraim is asmoche to say by interpretation as fat or encreased and it signifieth those persons that be encreased and made fatte in worldly and carnall pleasures or in folowynge of theyr owne frowarde wylles and sensuall reasons Suche persons haue taken theyr flyght from the loue of god and if they wyll nat retourne and come agayne to the voyce of the caller or preacher or at the shewynge of his lewer that is at the remembraunce of the passion of Christe he wyll dimysse them leaue them to the rauynous faucououre of hell to the deuyll It is wryten by the prophete Hyeremye that our lorde sayth thus Reuertere ad me et ego suscipiam te Thoughe thou haste done neuer so many synnes or folowed all hereses yet retourne to me and I shall receyue the. Also our lorde saythe by the prophete Esay Reuertere ad me ê™ redemi te Retourne to me thou synner or erroneous persone for I haue redemed the and bought the agayne with my precious blode and passion Take hede vnto this callynge and obey therunto for I assure you it is moche perilous and daungerous to withstand it And it apereth wel by the wordes of our lorde spoken by the wyse man saynge Vocaui et renuistis extendi manum meam et non erat qui aspiceret ego quoque in interitu vestro ridebo I haue called you and ye refused to come to me I haue extendyd my hand with greate gyftes and benefites I haue shewed vnto you my lewer shed my precious blode for you and ye wolde nat regarde these thyngê and therfore I shal be glad ioyful of your ê‘dicion ¶ The .vi. profit Flagiciorum dibilitat pronitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth enfeble make weyke and subdue our pronitie and redynes vnto vice And therfore saynt Austen sayth Whan so euer my foule cogitation doth moue me then I ruÌ„ne to the woundes of Christ Whan the flesshe or the sensualytie therof doth oppresse me I ryse agayne thoroughe the remembraunce of the woundes of my lorde god If the fyer of carnal coÌ„cupisceÌ„ce enflame my meÌ„bres it is quenchyd by the remembraunce of the sonne of god Also Origene sayth Suche is the vertue of the crosse that if it be in the syght of man and faythfully holden and kepte in his herte so that feruently and deuoutly that man beholde and remembre the deth and passion of Christe there shall no concupiscence no carnall motion no furie or angre nor any enuy ouercome that persone but sodenly at the presence and syght of that passion all vice and synne shal be chased and dryuen away ¶ The .vii. profit Gaudiorum donat vbertatem IT gyueth vnto man great plentie of spirituall ioy Herevnto speaketh the prophet Esay saynge Haurietis aquas in gaudio de fontibus saluatoris Ye shall drawe from the profound and depe misterie of the pitie and mercy of god waters that is abundaunce of teares in ioy of deuotion from the wellys and fountayns that is from the woundes of our sauiour Christe the which at one tyme dyd shed furth blode in great abundaunce but now dayly and coÌ„tinually they bryng furth the incessable waters of grace Wherfore the deuout soule restynge in this meditation sayth in the canticles Sub vmbra illius quem desideraueram sedi et fructus eius duicis gutturi meo I haue sitten rested me vnder the shadowe of hym whom I desired and his frute is pleasaunt to my mouth and tastynge And therfore Celestine sayth those holy sayntes and seruauntes of god bene dyed in the blode of the most holy that shed his blode for them when they be crucified with Christe crucified that is when they haue compassion of his sorowfull paynes of deth and ioy in his loue and with his ioyfull loue drynkynge his blode and eatynge his flesshe embrasynge or halsynge with great pleasure his crosse and paynfull deth lyekynge and suckyng his woundes entryng in to his most louyng herte that was opened with a spere and naylynge them selfe fast to hym vnseparably with the nayles of true and faythfull loue These persons I say ben dyed colored with the blode of Christ ¶ The .viii. profit Horrorum vitat perpetuitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe oft remembred doth deliuer vs from the paynes of hel And herunto saint Paule sayth Expolians principatus et potestates glosa 〈◊〉 inferni Our sauiour Christ spoilynge the principates and powers of hel of theyr pray that is of Adam Noe Abraham and all other ryghtuous persons brought them to heuen with greate power And therfore who so wyll nat occupy his mynde with the meditation of the passion of Christe it is to be feared of his dampnation For as saynt Gregory sayth The worde of god and specyally of the passion of Christe is the meate and foode of y e soule and as a quasye or seke stomake casteth vp the meat that it receyueth so
lofte or chamber that is in the soule of man eleuate and lyfte vp by feruent deuocion and great by longanimitie broode by the brede of charitie and strawed by the diuersitie of vertues And whan all thynges were prepared in this chambre Iesus dyd entre with his disciples to whom the Pascall lambe rosted was brought furthe And grace sayde or blyssyng made by our lorde they eat it with the iuse of wylde letuâ—e And note that in this soleÌ„pnitie of Pasce there were toure thynges that is the Pascall lambe pure wheat brede without leuyn wyne and the iuse of wylde letuse to signifie that no man might cum worthely to eat of the true lambe the body of Christe without bytternes and compunction of herte for theyr synnes This refection also doeth signifie theternall refection of glory that shal be in the ende of the worlde Than Iesus rysynge from supper his disciples syttynge and eatynge he sayd I haue with a great desyre desyred to eat this Pascall lambe with you before my passion This worde desyre twyse spoken doeth signifie a mynde of two desyres One was y t the olde testament shuld be finished and the new shuld be begun And this was moost his desyre For all the dayes of his lyfe he ranne after vs with a moost feruent desyre of our helthe And we â–ª yf we can nat at sumtyme haue good myndes and desires at the leest let vs haue a wyl to haue y t good desyre accordynge to the sayenge of Dauid Concupiuit anima mea deside rare iustificationes tuas My soule hath couetyd or desyred to desyre thy iustificacions After this Christe toke bread and wyne and gyuynge thankes to god blyssed them and so conuerted the bread into his owne body the wyne into his bloode and gaue it vnto them sayenge take and eat this is my bodye drynke of my bloode And here he shewed his great desyre y t was to cum that is to shede his bloode for our redemption that after the immolacion offeryng of the figuratiue and Pascall lambe shulde folow the oblacion of the very true lambe Iesus Christe And so the olde figures ceassed and all thynges were made new whan that Christ conuertyd and turned bread and wyne into his precyouse body and bloode And here note that in the boke called Exodus there were determined many thynges that were requyred to the eatynge of the figuratiue Pascall lambe whiche also spiritually be requyred to theatynge of the verye true lambe our sauiour Iesus Fyrst it shulde be eaten onely of them that be circumcidyd so shulde we be circumcidyd by the cuttynge away of our olde synfull conuersacion and lyfe Secondely it shulde be eaten with the iuse of wylde letuse signifienge that we shulde haue bytter contricion for our synnes Thyrdly with pure whete breade without leuyn betokenynge the puritie of our conscience without leuyn of fynne Fourthly theyr clothes shulde be gyrded vp signifienge oure chastitie of body soule Fyftely they shulde haue shoes vppon theyr fete betokenynge that our affections shulde be separate from all erthely thynges In a signe also or token herof our lord fyrst wasshed the fete of his disciples before that he gaue to them his body and blood Sixtely they shuld haue staues in theyr handes notynge therby that we shulde diligently kepe our selfe These syxe foresayd condicions ben requyred in vs as concernynge the auoidaunce of vyce and synne And in lyke maner syxe thynges ben requyred in vs yf we wyll worthely receyue the sacrament of the aulter as concernynge the operacion of good werkes and gettynge of vertues Fyrst that it be eaten in one house that is in the vnitie of the chyrche that we be nat diuided from the chyrche by any scisme or heresye Secondly that we take or eat it with our neighbours as many as shall be sufficient to eate it signifienge the loue and concorde with our neighbours Thyrdely that it be nat eaten raw that is withoute the fyre of loue ne yet sodden with water of carnall pleasures but rosted with the fyre of feruent deuocion Fourthly it shulde be eaten hastely betokenyng our feruent desyre and delectacion folowynge Fyftely it shulde be eaten all hole bothe hed fete and the inwarde partes signifieng that we shulde be incorporate vnto Christe with a hole and true fayth beleuynge the diuinitie of Christe whiche is the hed also his humanitie body flesshe whiche is as the fote and also his soule whiche is as the inwarde parte Syxtely they shulde breke no bone of the Paschall lambe signifienge the symple veneracion worshyppynge of this sacrament nat dyuydyng the godhed from the manhode nor the flesshe from the blood for vnder euery parte of the hooste consecrate there is hole Christe bothe god man soule body and blood Wherfore who so euer receiueth the sacrameÌ„t of the aulter vnder the forme of bread only he receyueth hole Christe god and man soule flesshe and blood ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe whiche in the euyn tyde made thy last supper with thy disciples in a greate and large chaumbre strawed and made redye for the and there fedde theym with thy moost sacrate body and bloode make my herte I beseche the a great large chambre prepared for the. Enlarge in it trew fayth hope and charitie Magnifie or make it great with longanimitie pacience mekenes and straw it with all maner of vertues Graunt me lorde that my herte contrite and thus prepared may take and receyue the after my pore maner whom heuyn and erthe are nat able to take and conteyne that by thy grace inhabytance in me I may thynke and performe in dede all thynges pleasyng to the and declyne or auoyde all vyce and synne by perfyte hace of them and so continuynge vnto the ende I may worthely receiue thy preciouse body and blood in the sacrament of the aulter AMEN ¶ The .x. and last particle of this fyrst parte Of the wasshynge of his disciples fete WHan this supper was done and the Paschall lambe eaten and whan the deuyll had put into the herte wyll of Iudas to betraye Christe nat dyrecâ—y mouynge his wyll as the soule moueth the bodye but onely indyrectly by suggestion mouynge and perswadynge hym to betray Christe and he consented thereunto And here note that the deuyll can nat put euyll thoughtes into y e hert of man but onely offre them vnto man which yf the man receyue theym and that appere to the deuyll by sum outewarde sygne or token than the deuyll bloweth at this coole to kynâ—â—e and make the fyre burne that is he ceasseth nat to perswade and moue that man to consent vnto that synne And so it apperech that the deuyll can nat cast a man downe and ouercum hym except the man cast hym selfe fyrste downe and rendre his armour vnto his enemy that is excepte he consent to the suggestyon and mocion of the deuyll This supper I saye done and the Paschall
of Christes passion they shall be so frutyfull that they shall bryng ioye to the aungels in heuyn meryte to the good persones lyuynge in erthe forgyuenes to the synners and great refresshyng and conforte to the soules in purgatorye And this is bycause Christe reputeth and accompteth all thynges done to any of his seruauntes whether it be good or euyll as done to hym selfe And therefore he sayeth in the gospell Quod vni ex minimis meis fecistis mihi fecistis What so euer ye haue done to one of the leest of myne ye haue done it to me And in an other place he sayd to his disciples Qui vos recipit me recipit et qui vos spernit me spernit He that receiueth you receiueth me and he that dispiseth you dispiseth me And so our sauiour Christ taketh all our paines and tribulacions committed to hym as I sayd before as his owne and oâ—â—rech them to his father as his owne with lyke effect and fruite as is sayd before Therefore euery good and faythfull person ought moche to ioye in his tribulacions and paynes For what so euer he suffre Christe doeth confesse that he suffreth the same in hym and with hym ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesus Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche at mydnyght thy passion drawynge nygh wolde take vpon the feare heuynes for me moost wretchyd synner graunt me continually faythfully to referre all my tribubulacions heuynes paines vnto the the god of my hert y t thou wolde vouchesafe to bere them with me in the vnion of thy passion and heuynes That so by the merites of thy moost holy passion they myght be made to me fruitfull and profitable Amen ¶ Of the blody swet of Christe The seconde article THe seconde artycle is the flowynge of the bloode of Christe into the erthe by the maner of swet or of the blody swet of Christe flowynge from his bodye into the erthe For the seconde tyme that Christ prayed for anguysshe he swet blood and the aungell descendynge from heuyn aâ—â—ered to hym and conforted hym It foloweth therfore in thâ— gospell Factus in agonia prolixius orabat et factus est sudor eius sicut gutte sanguinis decurrentis in terram Christe was in a great agony and therfore he prolonged his prayer And in this prayer for his great agony his swet was as droppes of bloode runnynge downe from his body into the erthe Here do our doctours say that whan our lorde Iesus Christe dyd so prolong his prayer his most holy hert was greatly enflamed so coÌ„sequently all his hole body most holy most innocent In so moche that thrughe that greate feruour of prayer and his excessyue loue and moost feruent desyre that he had to suffre and to dye for our helth And of the other parte thrugh the vehement angwyssh and agony that he had in his manhode in the remembraunce of his moost greuouse paynes and shamefull dethe that he shulde suffre and thrugh the stronge reluctacion and stryuynge of sensualitie naturally abhorrynge that dethe and therfore myghtely fyghtynge agaynst it for these causes I say the poorys of his body were open and so flowed out the blood for his swet That vehement angwysshe and excessyue loue constreyned the bloode to cum out of the vaynes agaynst nature as Bede sayeth in so moche that many droppes of blood ranne downe by his clothes and fell vpon the erthe The loue of god in the herte of Christe dyd ouercum in that agony his natural feare and the feare of his manhode and so the bloode of Christe so quyckened and conforted by this loue was styrred and moued as yf it wolde haue cum all furthe of the body at that tyme thrugh that excessyue loue as yf he wolde nat or might nat haue abyden the tyme of his dethe appointed whan all that blood shulde be vtterly sheddyd And so I say thrughe this vehement loue the droppes of blood dyd issue and fall from the vaynes of his body And as the inwarde cause of swet after naturall phisiciens is the naturall hete dissoluynge that is hote and moyst in the bodye so the supernaturall cause of this bloody swet myght be the feruent hete and burnynge of his excessyue loue redowndyng from the herte of Christe into al his hole body there dissoluynge the vaporouse moisture Phisiciens also say that it is possible that a man may swet naturally thrugh the vehemeÌ„ce of loue In lyke maner as our doctours say Christe swet blood aboue nature thrugh his vehement feruour of charitie for thaÌ„ the more he approched to his dethe the more he burned in loue for the feruente desyre of our helthe O how bytter and paynefull was this dethe of Christe in it selfe sythe the onely imaginacion therof dyd so greatly chaunge thorder of nature for it drew from all the partes of his bodye droppes of bloode as yf he had swet whiche blody swet shulde signifie and note to vs the helthe of his misticall body that is the catholicall chyrch Hereto sayth saint Bernarde By the erthe moisted with the bloody swet of Christ is signified that erthely men shulde be redemyd by the bloode of Christe By the whiche blood also he shulde reduce vnto lyfe all the worlde ded in synne Woo be to that wretchyd hert that wyll nat be moisted and made softe with this blood or swet Beholde thou wretche the great tribulacion of this most mylde gentyll louynge herte in what angwyssh it was whan all his bodye on euery parte swet blood O thou my stony herte quake and tremble and breke in pecys and moyst thyne iyen with blody teres for as thou mayst se thy creatour and maker is all wet in bloode for the and that with suche plenty that it ranne downe vpon the erthe And surely his body outwardly wolde neuer haue bene so wet with bloode yf his herte inwardly had nat ben broken with sorowe and heuynesse Therefore the prophete sayeth in the persone of Christe Contritum est cor meum in meipso My herte is broken within me The herte of our mooste louynge Iesus thus inwardly broken or cut the outwarde skynne also was broken so that his blood myght abundantly flow out vpon the erthe And this bloody swette was very naturall and true bloode of the moost purest body of Christe But as we sayd before it was nat shed naturally for it is agaynst nature to swet blood ⸪ ⸫ ¶ Doctrines or holsom lessons IN this artycle we may take thre holsum and profytable lessons Fyrste by the apparicion of the aungell c. We be enfourmed that the holy aungelles of god do assyst vs and also conforte vs in our prayers Hereunto sayeth the prophete Dauyd Preuenerunt principes coniuncti psallentibus The prynces or holy aungelles do preuent them that prayse god or praye to hym with theyr helpe and also be ioyned vnto them in theyr praysynges And in an other place he sayeth In
to hym his dieat Seconly he wyl cast hym in a sweat Thyrdly if these be not sufficyent he wyll let hym blode to correcte the euyll humors And fourthly he wyl gyue hym a pocyon to auoyde all the euyll mater that is the cause of his sekenes So our lorde Christe that he myght cure vs from the infirmitie and seakenes of synne he fyrste kepte a dyeat for he fasted .xl. dayes Secondly he swet blode for vs. Thyrdly he was let blode in all the partes of his bodye when as he shedde his blode without weyght or mesure so that his bodye hangynge vpon the crosse was as drye as a fyrebrand Fourthly and last not content with all the other medicynes he toke a most bitter pocyon when for to cure oure synfull sekenes he toke vinegre and tasted therof and therfore he sayd conueniently Consummatum est All thynges be fulfylled that I shulde suffer for the helthe of man And thus after that he had suffred in all the membres of his bodye the sharpe dartes of moste bytter paynes and passyon he myghte well say the wordes of the prophet Repleuit me amaritudine inebriauit me absinthio He hath fulfylled me with bitternes he hath made me dronke with wormewod and so in his passyon he dranke a bytter pocyon and that to cure vs. ¶ A Lesson OF this article we maye take this lesson that in the ende of euery good werke that we do whiche hath diuerse actes and partes we shulde gather them togyther as it ware in a soÌ„me and so offer that good werke to god and so comonlye we vse in all the seruyce of the churche for euer in the ende we conclude with a collecte whiche is so called for asmoche as in that prayer all the office or seruice said before is as it ware virtually gadred and conteyned in that orison or collect as in a summe And so this worde Consummatum est is as it were the collecte of the hole passion of Christ vnto his death And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld remembre breuely as it were in a summe all the forsayde artycles of Chrystes passion and so gyue thankes to all myghtie god for them and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche offeryng the consummacion of thy hole passion as it ware in a â—ume â—o god thy father for we dyd say Consummatum est it is ended â–ª grant to me that I may dewly consummate and ende all the good werkes and paynes that it shall please thy grace to werke in me and by me and so ended to offre them with due thankes vnto god the father by the. Amen ¶ Of the yeldyng vp of his soule or of the death of Christe The. lxii article THe .lxii. article is the death of Christe for when Christe had sayde It is ended then he criynge agayne with a greate voyce sayd or no necessite but for our example 〈…〉 tuas coÌ„mendo spiritum meum Father I commend my spirite in to thy handes This was the .vii. and last worde that he spake vpon the crosse And by this sayng he wolde declare vnto vs that the soules of holy sayntes be in y e handes of god after theyr departyng from the bodye wher as before y t tyme all the soules ware in the hande power of hell And by this his commendacion he commendeth to his father all his electe people for we be his membres as saynt Paule sayth Omnes vnum sumus in Christo iesu We be all one in Christe iesu Which in the dayes of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and teares was hard for his reuerence And this worde sayd and prayer made he bowed downe his heade and so gaue vp his spirite In criyng weapyng and praing As the glose sayth we that be erthly or made of y e erth do dye or giue vp our spirite with out any voyce or at most a softe or small voyce But Christ y t camme from heuen he at his death exalted his voyce and cried with a great and lowde voyce He that is not moued with this voyce is more heuy than the erth more harde than y e stone and more close and stynkyng than dead menes graues for all these ware broken moued and open by this voyce And note here that amonge al the paynes that Chryst suffered this payne of death was most sharpe and paynefull for as the Philosopher sayth Death is the moste terrible of all terrible or fearefull thynges and that is for the naturall inclinacion that the soule hathe to the bodye But there is a more speciall cause in Christe for as Damasten sayth His godhed was vnit and knyt bothe to the soule and also to the bodye and therfore that separatioÌ„ of his soule from his body was most paynfull to hym Chryste enclined and bowed downe his heade to shewe vnto vs. iiii thynges that is Fyrste the greuouse and heuy burden that was laid vpon him A man that is ouercharged or oppressyd with a heuy burden is wonte to stowpe and bowe downe his heade But Christe was oppressid with the heuy burden of our synnes as sait Petre sayth Peccata nostra ipse pertulit in corpore suo super lignum Christe bare our synnes in his bodye vpon a tree that is the crosse Also Christe sayth by the prophet Conuolute sunt iniquitates et imposite collo meo The iniquites or synnes be folden or lappid vp to gether and laid vpon my necke and therfore no meruel though he bowid downe his heade to shew vnto vs what heuy burden he bare Secondely he enclined his heade to shewe his pouertie for Iesus the son of god at his death was so pore that he had no place where to reste his head and therfore he bowyd it downe Thyrdly to shewe to vs that meaknes is the way to glorie euerlastyng Herunto Hugo sayth We shall returne vnto the heuenly cuntre by the waye of meakenes And the wiseman sayth Viam sapientie monstrabo tibi c. I shall shewe to the the way of wisdom and I shall lead the by the pathes of equitie which when thou arte ones entred in to thy feet shall not letted nor thou runnyng shal haue any let or obstacle This waye is the vertu of meakenes for as Christ sayth Qui sehumiliat exaltabitur He y t meaketh hym selfe shal be exalted as y e ê“phet sayth Non habitabit in medio domus mee qui facit suê‘biam The prowde person shall not dwell in my house Forthly Chryste enclyned his heade to gyue thankes to his father for the victorie he had for by his death he distroyed death And hereunto saynt Paule sayth Absorpta est mors in victoria Death is destroyed by the victorie and triumphe of Chryst And in the same place Deo gracias qui fe cit nos vincere in domino nostro iesu Christo Thankes be to god that hath
with me that moch profyt and comforth myght come to them that shal rede this boke and folowe the exercices therof And thus I coÌ„mende you and all youres to the passion of our lorde From Syon the .vi. day of Decembre 1533. ¶ your dayly oratour Iohan Fewterer ✚ ⧠⧠⧠The Prologue ☞ Inspice et fac secundum exemplar quod tibi monstratum est in monte Exodi 25. D. BEholde and worke accordyngly to the examplar that is shewed vnto the iÌ„ the mounâ— Christ althoughe oftymes in scripture be compared to a mount or so called for the excellency of his moste hyghe perfection yet moste specially in that he was exalted on the crosse in the mount of Caluary he may be called a mount or the excelleÌ„t merit of his moste bitter and sacrate passion In this mount that is in Christ crucified is this day that is by all the tyme of our lyfe shewed vnto vs a glasse or an examplar whome we shuld nat onely beholde but also with moste deligence folowe his steppes for it is nat sufficient to a christian to beholde Christ crucified For so dyd the Iues and also the gentyls his crucifiers But it is required of a Christian y t he lyue and worke accordyngly to the exaÌ„plar shewed to hym in y e mount that is Christe crucified And that is the intent of our fyrst wordes spoken to euery faythful person Beholde and worke accordyngly to the example of Christe crucified Behoâ—de I say hym incorporatyng or depely knittyng his paynfull passion vnto thy hert by inward compassion And worke accordyngly vnto his example vnfaynedly folowyng hym For so saynt Petre teachethe vs sayng Christus passus est pro nobis Christ suffred for vs. This is the fyrst thyng that we shulde diligently beholde with the inwarde ey of our soule Christ crucified And it foloweth Nobis relinquens exemplum vt sequamur vestigia eius Leuyng to vs an example that we myght folowe his steppes In ordryng our lyfe accordyngly to his wyll and example And this is the second thyng belongyng to a christian vnfaynedly and truely to folowe his sauiours example And in these two thynges shall stande the hole suÌ„me of our purpose and of this treatise which be necessary to be ofte remembred vnto the Christian For if the lyues passions of holy sayntes and martyrs be recounted to man to induce hym into deuotion of herte to contricion for his synnes to the loue of god despisyng of the world and patient sufferance or bearyng of tribulations and paynes how moche more than shuld the passion of Christ be remembred and preached whiche is moste holy of al sayntes ye the sanctifier of al sayntes lorde and god ouer al the iudge of quicke the resurrection or reasex of the deed This passion I say shuld be remembred that men hearyng it myght knowe how moche god the father hated synne for the destruction wherof he wold haue the preciouse blode of his moste deare beloued onely son shed vpon the erthe with moste greuouse tormentes and woundes and also that man myght knowe how moche he loued mankynde for whose saluacion he wold gyue his only sonne to so cruell tormentes paynfull death Thyrdly that we should knowe how preciouse and deare a thyng is the kyngdom of heuen which he wold nat open and gyue vnto mankynd but by the preciouse blode and deth of his naturall sonne Iesu Christe And fourthly to declare vnto vs howe moche he soueth and reioyceth in the penaunce of man for the declaration and example wherof he wold his deare byloued sonne to be nayled fast vnto the crosse and spred abrode on y e same as a boke open wherin we myght rede and lerne howe to do penaunce What other thyng do signifie vnto vs his teares or wepyng his sorow his woundes his armes spred abrode and his moste swete and godly wordes but mocioÌ„s and callynges vnto penaunceâ— He hath called vs vnto penauÌ„ce by his worde by his Euangely and moste of all by his holy lyfe and example Therfore behold and loke vpon this examplar glasse loke vpon the face of thy sauiour Christ and worke accordyngly to the exemplar that is shewed to the in the mount of Caluarye And if this spectacle or glasse ought to be beholden at all tymes moche more than it shuld be coÌ„sydered this tyme whaÌ„ the churche remembreth the passion of our sauiour Christe that by the consyderyng therof our soule myght be excited moued to gyue thankes to god for it and also to haue coÌ„passion in our soule of Christ crucified For as almyghty god sayth by his prophet Moises Anima que non fuerit afflicta die hac peribit de populo suo That soule or ê‘son which wyl nat take vpoÌ„ hym some payne affliction or compassion this day or tyme of the passion of our lorde shal peryshe from his people that is shall nat be accompted or taken for a christian Therfore let vs say in signe and token of compassion that whiche saynt Bernard sayd in his mournyng Quis dabit capiti meo aquam c. Who shall grauÌ„t or gyue water vnto me heade or the fountayne and well of teares vnto myne yen that I myght wepe both day and nyght vnto the tyme my lord appere vnto his seruauÌ„t and comfort hym eyther slepyng or wakyng O ye swete teares by whom commeth the plentuouse ryuers of graces O ye deuote teares the aboundaunt fountayne of my helth come into my hert flowe out of myne yen fall vpon my chekes make my mournyng bitter Also in an other place saynt Bernard mouethe vs to the beholdyng of this exaÌ„plar our sauiour crusified saynge in the person of Christ O thou maÌ„ beholde what I suffred for the Se the crosse on the whiche for thy loue I dyed Beholde the nayles wherwith my handes and my fete ware persed and fasâ—ened to the crosse for thy synne Is this no sorowe and payne that I suffered for the And thoughe this outward sorowe payne be moche greuouse yet moche more paynfull it is to me inwardly to se the so vnkynde for whom I suffred all these greuouse tormentes and paynes Wherfore o thou christiaÌ„ behold Christ crucified gyue hym thankes for his kyndnes lesse ê‘aduenture thou mayste hear the rebuke that was spoken vnto .ix. leprose cured by our sauiour Iesu to whose rebuke he sayd Nonne decem mundati sunt et noueÌ„ vbi sunt Was there nat .x. persons cured and but one that was a strauÌ„ger y t gyueth thaÌ„kes for his benefyt receyued wher be y e other .ix. Behold I say Christe crucified remeÌ„bre his kindnes accordyng to y e couÌ„cell of y e wyse maÌ„ sayng Gratiam fide iussoris tui ne obliuiscaris dedit enim pro te animam suam Forget nat y e kyndnes of thy suerte or frende for he hathe gyuen his lyfe for the this shulde be diligently remembred ¶ Here endeth the prologue ¶ The diuision of this
shulde loue bodily or carnall pleasures but that as Christ hauyng a mortall body dyd by coÌ„tinual penaunce subdue his body coÌ„tempne all carnall worldly pleasures and was euer ioyned to god by loue so in lyke maner shuld mortal man mortifye his body by continuall penaunce dispise all vayne pleasures and euer erecte or lyfte vp his soule to god and heuenly thynges O the meruaylous blyndnes of man made of two substaunces that is the soule and the body and all thoughe the soule without comparison be moche more noble than the body yet he wyl spend and occupy all his tyme in a maner aboute the prouisyon of his body or in suche thynges as the flesshe desireth and in nothynge regarde his soule as yf he had none or that it were of no value For he wyll neyther fede nor norysshe it nor yet laboure to quiete or rest it in the loue of god thoughe he myght so do with moche more ease swetnes and also pleasure without comparison than to content and saciat the body For god is prest and redy to euery man ye he offereth hym selfe to man yf man he wyl receyue hym Ecce sto ad ostium et pulso c. Behold he sayth I stande at thy dore that is thy herte or soule and knocke yf any person wyl here my voyce and open the dore of his soule vnto me I shall entre therin and suppe with hym and he with me Se thou vnkynde man howe our lorde offereth hymselfe vnto the and requyreth none other pryce of the but the deth of his sonne with thyne obedient herte therfore gladly receyue hym to thy spirituall coÌ„forte All corporall and temporall thynges fle frome man and forsake hym and thoughe with great study anguysshe and payne he labour to get and kepe them yet he shal neuer haue y e ful possession of them to his quietnes excepte he wolde say that he hath the ful possession of them the whiche holly and fully contempneth and dispiseth them all for that person is saciate and contente with the wante of them But wyll ye se a more meruaylous blyndnes of this wretched man The soule of man which is made to thymage of god and the whiche shall neuer be saciate and content but only with god that same soule nat constrayned though partely enclyned and moued by the flesshe wylfully subdeweth her selfe vnto the flesshe redy to fulfyl the vayne pleasures and desyres of the flesshe But she coÌ„tempneth or dispiseth to subdue her self to god though she be continually moued therunto by dayly exhortatyon or preachynge continuall receyuynge of his benefytes and graces and also by inwarde inspirations Ye more ouer she wyll nat do the wyl of god in his owne gyftes that he gyueth to her Truely yf the soule were nat worse or more bestial than any brut beste she wolde loue god aboue all thynges vnto whose ymage she is made And so lytell or nothynge regarde all creatures in comparison of god Wherfore thou soule yf thou wylt loue the flesshe or the body loue none other but the flesshe and the body of Christe whiche was offered for the and for the helth of mankynde on the auter of the crosse Therfore dayly remembre in thy herte his passion For it so remembred in the soule of man is continually offered and presented to the syght of the father omnipotent for our consolation and comforte It is comenly sayd that if any man kyl or slee another man yf that mansleer come afterwarde in the presence of that deed corps or body so that he se it it wyl incontinent blede or voyde at the wounde fresshe blode So yf we wolde beholde with the deuoute eyen of our soule the blode and passion of Christe whom we haue slayne or were the occasyon of his deth nat onely by our original synne but also by our manyfolde actuall synnes we shuld fele or perceyue by spiritual grace of deuotion in our soules howe that by our compassion of his passion his blode flowethe plentuously out of his body and is offered and presented vnto his father for our saluacion and sanctification For yf the nayles that persed his handes and feet were sanctified and called holy by the tochyng of his blessed meÌ„bres how moche more then shulde our reasonable thoughtes whiche cleue fast to Christe crucifyed by continual or ofte remembraunce of his passion be called holy O most delectable passion O most meruaylous deth Meruaylous Ye what may be more meruaylous for this deth doth gyue life it cureth our woundê it maketh blode whyte that is it purifieth and clenseth our soule from the blode of synne Great bitternes and sorowe is ofte times tourned to moche swetenes pleasure The openyng of the syde of Christ ioyneth his herte to our herte The sonne hyd frome vs by the clowdes whan the clowdes be gone and paste it shineth more clerely The fyre quenched is shortlyer or soner kyndeled maketh the greater flame The ignominious and shamfull deth of Christe glorifieth both hym and vs. Christe thristyng vpon the crosse doth inebriate and saciate vs with the drynke and liquore of grace Christe hangyng naked on the crosse clotheth y e ryghtuous persones with the garmentes of vertue His handes nayled to the crosse dothe vnknytte or loose oure handes his feete nayled dothe make vs ronne to vertue Christe yeldynge his spyryte in to the handes of his father dothe inspyre and gyue lyfe of grace And he also spred abrode vpon the crosse doth call vs to heuenly thinges O the wonderfull passyon of Christe the whiche doth alyenate and chaunge the herte and mynde of hym that hath remembraunce and compassion of it For it nat only maketh hym angelical but also diuine and godly For he that coÌ„tinueth by meditation in the tormentes and passion of Christ seeth nat hym selfe bycause he alwayes and onely beholdeth his sauiour Christe crucified This person wolde bere the crosse of Christe with hym and he also bereth in his herte hym which susteynethe both heuen and erthe with whome he may easely susteyne and beare all heuy burdens and paynes This persone also that thus continueth in the mediation of Christe crucifyed wolde be crowned with thornes with Christe and for Christe and he is crowned with the sure hope and truste of the crowne of glory He wolde hynge naked on the crosse with Christe and so shake for colde and he is heated in his soule with the feruent fyre of loue He wolde taste of the bitter and sharpe vynacre and gall with Christe and he drynkethe the wyne of vnspeakable swetenes He wolde be mocked and scorned withe Christe on the crosse and he is honoured of aungelles He wolde be dispysed and forsaken with Christe and our lady hath chosen hym to her sonne He wolde be heuy with Christe and he is conforted He wolde be tormented and scourged with Christe and he is relyued with great ioy gladnes He wold hynge with Christe on the crosse and Christe most swetely doth
stopped and restrayned the floode of her teares there rose and sprang maruailously greater abundauÌ„ce of teares For when she considered of what glorie and dignitie he was that wolde suffer so vyle and shamfull deth for our redemption then her sorowe was renewed in her and her soule so relented for deuout compuÌ„ction that moche more plentye of teares departed from her and moche more ye may see in the sayde boke if it please you ✚ ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christ the sonne of the liuynge god for thyn vnspeakable pitye and the moste excellent lyfe of the moste holy mother Marie and for the merites of saynt Francisce and of al thy sayntes graunt we beseche the vnto vs most wretched synners vnworthy any of thy benefites that we myght loue the alone and euer be burnynge or feruente in thy loue and that we might continually magnifie the werke of our redemption that we myght euer desyre thy honour and dayly bere and remembre in our herte the benefyte of thy passion that we myght knowe and consydre our miserye and continually desire to be dispised aud rebuked for thy loue so that nothynge shulde comforth vs and abide in our hertê but thy deth and passion and nothynge displease or trouble vs but our owne synne and wretchednes Amen ¶ Of the meane and maner of the remembraunce of the passion of Christe The second particle HOwe I shall shewe vnto yowe howe we shulde vse and exercise our self in the passion of Christe In the whiche vii tymes in the day at the leeste euery christiane shuld exercise hym selfe accordyngly to the sentence or mynde of saynt Barnard sayng The coÌ„tinual or dayly lesson of a christi ane shulde be the remembraunce of the passion of Christe For there is nothynge that so moche kyndeleth the hert of man as the manheed of Christ and the ofte and deuout remembraunce of his passion Howe this may be we shall perceyue it in this maner That is this who so euer wyll ê“fite in the meditation of Christê passion let hym ordre hym selfe as if Christe were put to all the paynes of his deth and passion in his presence and so let hym considre depely diligeÌ„tly and with deliberation al the poyntes of his passion therunto fixe his hole mynde perseuerantly leuynge and settynge a parte all other cures and busines with drawinge hym selfe with as great diligeÌ„ce as he can from all superfluouse meatê and drynkes and from all dilycates from al fyne garmentes and softe beddes from all vayne sportes lyghtnes from vayne ioy and from all vayne and ydle speche For all these and suche other lyke ben clene contrarie to the frutefull remeÌ„braunce of Christes passion as we shall she we more clerly herafter And therfore it is necessarie that if a man wyll profyt herein that he thynke hym selfe as yf he were presente at the passyon of Christe and so ordre and behaue hym self in his speche in his sight in his sorowyng and in al his other outwarde actes as if he sawe before his face Christe hyngynge on the crosse If a man thus order hym selfe Christe crucifyed shal be spiritually with hym and in his presence as he thynketh in his owne mynde and so shall gladly behold his dedes and thoughtes and also gratiously accepte his vowes and promysses But take hede that this remembraunce be nat soone lost and shortly put away specially whan deuotion and tyme wyl serue with conuenient oportunitye and se that this remeÌ„braunce be with a faythful and herty maner and with a mournyng coÌ„passion For suerly yf this most swete and pleasaunt tree of the crosse be nat affectuously louyngly chewed with the teethe of feruent deuotion the sauour therof though in it selfe it be very delicious shal neuer moue the. And if thou can nat wepe with Chryst that wepte for the and sorowe with hym that sorowed for the at the leest thou ought to ioy in hym and to render thankes to hym with a deuout herte for his manifold benefytes gyuen to the without any thyng deseruynge And if thou felest thy selfe noder moued vnto compassion nor yet to gyue thankes with a feruent desyre vnto god for his benefites but rather depressed with an hard herte in the sayd remeÌ„braunce neuer the lesse with that same hard herte ronne vnto the holsome remembraunce of Christes passion and gyue suche thankes to god as thou may for that tyme. And that which thou can nat haue nor felyst nat in thy selfe committe in to the handes of his most mercifull goodnes And if yet thou continue in thy stubbernes and harde herte for perauenture thy herte is tourned in to the hardnes of a Dyamant whiche can neuer be broken but with the hote blode of a gote as Plinius sayth in his naturall historie here I offer shewe vnto the the greate copie and plentie of blode of the gote and also of a lambe incontaminate vnspotted or vndefyled Iesu Christe which is very hote and burnynge with an incomparable feruent loue and charitye whiche thorough the strength of his heet hath broken and dissolued that harde and Dyamant wall of enmitie which the synne of our fyrst parentes and also our actuall synnes hath made and put bytwyxte god and man Wasshe or drowne thy selfe in the copiouse blode of this gote and lambe O thou Adamant herte and lye in it that thou may be made warme thou so heated or made warme may be molifyed or made softe and so molified may shed plentiously ryuers of teares Moyses smote twyse on the stone and brought suche plentye of water so smyte thy harde stony hert twyse that is with the inwarde hertye remembraunce of Christe passyon and withe the outwarde laboure of thy bodye as exexercysynge thy selfe in lyftynge vp thy handes or thy syght vnto the crucifixe in ofte knockynge on thy breste in deuoute genuflexions knelynges or peyne takynges or in exercysyng thy self in takyng disciplines or scurgyngê or in other lyke outwarde exercise and so coÌ„tinue vnto thou haue goten the grace of teares Wherby thy reasonable soule shal drynke the waters of deuotion And thy sensual or bestly bodye by thexperieÌ„ce therof shal be humbled and subdued vnto the reasonable soule ¶ The thirde particle howe we shulde fele in our selfe the passion of Christ and this ê‘ticle is deuided in to .v. chapitres firste is howe we shulde fele the passion of Christe in our vnderstandynge and reason SAynt Poule sayth Hoc sentite invobis quod et in Christo Iesu Fele and perceiue in your selfe that Christ Iesu â—elt that ye myght sucke drawe watres frome the fountayns of our sauiour For who so euer exercise them selfe faythfully in this passion they shal sucke drawe from thens al maner of graces as we said afore For suerly this exercise hath his diuers degrees wherby we may come to the perfeccion of all sanctitye or holynes Wherfore we ought accordyngly to thadmonicion of saint Poule fele in our selfe y
body done for god is reputed as a martirdome and therby somwhat we reanswere vnto the passion of our lord Herunto speaketh saynt Barnard sayng this dayly penaūce and affliction of the body is a certayne kynde of very martirdome and effusion of blode it is a litel more gentyl and nat so hugsome as is tormētes and deth by the swerd or other lyke but it is more paynfull for the cōtinuance therof the other is sone done but this lasteth long This is necessarie profitable for vnperfite persons that be weyke in spirite and nat stronge in fayth and therfore dare nat auenture to suffer martyrdome and deth for Christe but they be content to supply it by this martyrdome that is dayly and continuall penaunce whiche by the continuaunce is more paynfull And thus the deuoute persones do fele in them selfe by theyr outwarde penaunce the passyon of our lord As whan by sharp penaunce they subdue theyr bodies ouer come vyce and all sensuall passions and so continue in this crosse of penaunce with Christe ¶ How we shulde fele Christes passion in our pouertie and other necessites The fourth Chapitre FOurthly we shulde fele the paynes of Christe in our penury pouertie and other necessities so that remēbrynge the passion of Christe we shulde gladly suffer all pouertie and penurie and neuer to desyre that thynge that is pleasaunt to the bodye for the pleasure therof or takyng any thinge more then very necessitie requyreth saynge with holy Iob Donec deficiam non recedam ab innocentia mea As longe as I lyue I shall nat forsake myn innocencie And though we be in a maner consumed and lost thoroughe hunger and penurye so that we may say with the prophet Dauid Defecit in dolore vita mea My lyfe is consumed thorough sorowe my bodye and my herte also And surely this maner of penurie and necessitie nat onely of meate and drynke but also of all thynges that may be delectable to man is accōpted to good men in this lyfe as a kynde of martyrdome By whiche necessityes if we strongly and gladly bere them for god we satisfye partly to our lord for his passion And herunto speketh saynt Barnard saynge Wylfull pouertie is a certen kynde of martyrdome Almyghty god descendyng from thinestimable riches of heuen and cōmynge in to this worlde wolde nat any of these ryches of this world but cam in so great pouertie that anon as he was borne for his credell he was layde in to a crybbe in a vyle stable with out the towne for his mother culde haue no lodgyng in the cytie Of his pouertie also appereth by his answere that he made to one the whiche sayd that he wold folowe hym where so euer he went And our lord answered and sayd Vulpes foueas habent et volucres celi nidos filius autem hominis non habet vbi caput suum recli net Foxis haue cauys or dennys and byrdes of the ayre haue nestes but the sonne of the virgine hath no place wherin to hyde or reste his heed In this necessitie was thapostle Paule as it appereth by his wordes saynge I was in many labours ofte in pryson bette and scourged aboue good ordre very ofte in peryll of dethe in perylles of flodes in perylles of theues in perylles of gentyles in daungers within the cytye in great daūgers also in wyldernes and also in the see in perylles of the false Iues. I was also in labour great miserie in great watch in hūger and thrist in moche abstinēce in cold in nakednes These and many mo dyd thapostle suffer And the mo y t we paciently suffer of these or such lyke the more shal we fele the passion of Christ in our self ¶ How we shuld fele Christes passion in our rebukes and dispisynges The .v. Chap FYftly we ought to fele the passion of Christ in our rebukes and reproues that is with most profoūd mekenes we shulde vtterly dispyse our selfe and thynke our selfe the warst of all other sayng euer in our hertes with mournynge I am gyltye of Christes deth for I am the cause of his deth He suffered for me and I in no thynge reanswere to his benefytes And therfore it is conuenient that we somwhat recompense with a contrite and meke spirite that whiche we can nat or do nat in our warkes or dedes outwarde that as Christe dyd meke hym selfe for vs vnto the deth yea to the most vyle and shamfull deth of the crosse so we shulde meke our selfe as gyltie and culpable for his deth These maner of wayes we shulde fele that Christe suffred for vs for these maner of wayes we were in hym Fyrste we were in his vnderstandyng eternally before the begynnynge of the worlde and so in his mynde that he wyll neuer forget vs. And therfore he sayth by his prophete Esaye Nunquid potest obliuisci mater infantem suum vt non misereatur filio vteri sui Et si illa oblita fuerit ego tamen non obliuiscar tui May a naturall mother sayth our lorde by the prophet forget her yonge chylde borne of her owne body and so forget hym that she wyl nat haue any pitie of hym as he myght say Nay And though it so be that she forget hym yet I assure the I wyl neuer forget the. Secondly we were in Christe nat onely in his vnderstandynge or mynde but also in his affection and loue And this appereth wel by his owne wordes spoken by the prophet Hieremy where as he sayth thus In charitate perpetua dilexi te ideo attraxi te miserans tui I haue sayth our lorde loued the in a perpetual charitie and therfore hauyng great compassion on the I haue drawen the to me Thyrdly we were in hym that is in theffecte of his werkes for all that god wrought in this worlde was to the helpe of man And what so euer Christe dyd or suffered in this world was nat for his owne profit but all was for the comforth of man And herunto saynt Barnarde after that he had recoūted or noumbred all the labours and paynes that Christe suffered in this lyfe sayde Who is he that knoweth whether the fruite and profyt of all these labours and paynes redounde or come to my profyt or nat And he answereth and sayth It is all done and gyuen to my profit and comforth For it coulde be gyuen to none other Nat to aungell for he had no nede therof Nat to the deuyll for he myght take no profit therof for he shall neuer ryse from dampnation Also our sauiour toke nat of hym the nature and similitude of aungell nor yet the similitude of the deuyl but he toke the nature of man and that to redeme man Fourthly we were in Christe that is in his pouertie and penurie for all the payne pouertie and miserie that he suffred was for vs. And herunto speaketh saynt Paule sayng Christus cum diues esset factus est
waite to accuse hym beatynges bondes scourgynges mockes rebukes sclaunders with many other paynes and sorowes as we shewed before so that the glorie of god was be spewed and all defowled with spittynges the iustice of god was contempned the iudge was falsly iudged he that neuer offended was blamed the innocent was accused and sclaundered god was blasphemed Christe was dispysed lyfe was sleyne and therfore the sonne withdrewe and hyd his lyght and the mone waxed blacke and derke These and many other mo paynes suffered paciently our most louynge sauiour Iesus whiche as a meke lambe was led vnto the dethe and he wold nat ones resist his enemyes though with one worde or one thought he myght haue cast downe or drowned all his enemyes in the depest pyt of hell But for whom suffered he all these great paines surely for his most cruell and synfull enemyes for his most wycked seruauntes or bondmen for false tratoures contempners or dispisers of his godly maiestie and for moste vnkynde wretches vnto theyr creatour and maker Syth therfore suche a glorious kyng pure and innocent suffred so many paynes and rebukes for so vile false wycked and most vnkynd caytiues to whom he had exhibite and shewed before that tyme all signes and tokens of benignitye and goodnes Was nat this a wonderous and meruaylous thynge Who may sufficiently meruayl of this thyng to considre and se the most wyse pure myghtie holy and the euerlastynge beautie of glorie of god to suffer so shamfull dethe for so stynkyng carion In all these thynges we may well wonder and meruayl of the great goodnes and charitie of god For he of his infinite charitie made of his owne flesshe and bodye made reed with his owne blode a reclamatorie or a lewer to call vnto his mercy and grace those wylde hawkes and vnkynde people the whiche by inordinate loue to the flesshe and the worlde had taken theyr flyght from the hand and fauour of the noble fawconer our sauiour Iesus Of the which hawkes speketh the prophet Osee saynge Effraim quasi anis auolauit Effraym hath flowen away or taken her flyght as a wylde hawke Effraym is as moche to say by interpretation as augmenta encreasinges and it may wel signifye suche people as here haue theyr pleasure in worldly honours and pastymes and encrease in them Suche people lyke vnto vngentyll or wylde hawkes flye from the hand and fauour or loue of god vnto the caryon of the bodye or of the worlde and fede therof And if they wyl nat be reclaymed vnto y e hand of this fawconer neyther by his callynge or cryenge nor yet by the shewynge of his lewre that is by the remembraunce of his passion and dethe they shal be lefte vnto the power and handes of the rauenar of hell the deuyll Herunto our lorde speaketh by the wyse man saynge Vocaui et renuistis extendi manum meam et non fuit qui aspiceret c. I haue called you sayth our lord and ye wold nat come I haue extended my hand shewynge my lewre that is gyuynge my benefytes vnto youe and specyally myne owne precyous bodye and blode but there is none that wyll beholde or regarde it and gyue to me due thankes therfore And it foloweth Ego quoque in interitu vestro ridebo And I shall laughe at you whan ye shal be deuoured by the deuyles of hell We myght here also shewe many other occasions of meruaylynge whiche be written in diuerse places of this treatys and specially in the fyrste particle of this parte ¶ How we shuld consydre Christes passyon to reioyse and ioy therin The .iiii. Chap. FOrthly we shulde considre the passion of our lorde to ioy therin For we shuld ioy therof for the redeÌ„ption of mankynde for the reparynge and restorynge of the ruyne and decay of aungelles And also we shuld ioy of the greate charitye and goodnes of god shewed in the sayd passion Fyrste without doubte we ought greatly to reioyse and ioy in our redemption whiche we had by the deth and passion of Christe Who is he I beseche you that wyll nat be ioyfull and gladde of this deth and passion whan he considereth that therby he is redemed from eternal dampnation from the rebuke of synne from the powre of the deuyll and from the miserable paynes of hell Secondly we shuld ioy that y e tall of aungellê is repared by the passion of Christe Surely it may be a greate reioysynge to vs whan we considre that so noble a college as is the companye of aungelles thorough the deth of Christe shal be repared and fulfilled with vs so that of aungelles of men shal be one heerd or flocke vnder one herdmaÌ„ our sauiour Iesu Christ so that they and we may be all one in hym Thirdly we oughte moste specyally to reioyse beholdynge in al the forsayd thynges the great and inestimable charite of our sauiour Iesu Christ our lorde and god Howe or in what thynge myght he haue shewed more clerly or more to our comforth his most benigne goodnes then in his most glorious passion where as he suffered so shamfull sharpe and greuous paynes for the deliueraunce of his enemy and to glorifye hym that was worthy to be punysshed with eternall dethe And therfore scripture sayth Inundationes maris quasi lac sugent et thesauros altissimos arenarum They shal sucke as it were mylke the swellynges or inundations and tempestes of the see and also the depe and hyd treasoures of the sande or grauell By this suckynge is signifyed the confortable swetnes that we haue in the receyuynge of the precious bodye of our lorde the whiche we receyue in the remeÌ„braunce of the passion of our lord and of the great treasure that was hyd in the manyfolde paynes and sorowes that he suffred before his dethe wherby we were redemed whiche we ought at all tymes to remembre And therfore the prophet Dauid sayth Adhereat lingua mea faucibus meis si non meminero tui I wolde my tunge shulde cleue faste to my iawes if I do nat remembre the. Then dothe the tunge cleue fast to the iawes when a man nothynge regardynge spirituall pleasures enforceth hymselfe to folowe worldly or carnall pleasures The swetnes that coÌ„meth in to the soule by receyuynge of the sacrameÌ„t redoundeth in to the iawes or chekes that be wel disposed that is to say it is nat onely comforth to a good soule but also to all the poures of the bodye as the suckynge of the salt water of the see wherby is signified the bitter paynes of Christes passion And these spirituall consolations be the treasures more precious then golde and precious stone Also they be hyd treasures for no man knoweth them but he that receyueth them And as the prophet Dauid sayth they be moche more to be desyred then golde or precious stone and more pleasauÌ„t or swetter then hony or any hony combe For they that be replenysshed with this hyd
that soule is seke that forgetteth the worde of god herde of the preacher But as that person is in peryll of dethe that can nat receyue or kepe his meate so he is in peryll of eternall dethe that doth nat remeÌ„bre and lyue accordyngly to the spiritual food of the soule Also saynt Barnarde sayth It may be thought that that person shal be eternally dampned by the ryghtuous iudgmeÌ„t of god that in this tyme of grace is vnkynde vnto Christes passion and therfore vnworthy the frute therof ¶ The .ix. profit Ingeniorum illuminat ceciâ—atem IT is also an oyntment to oynt the blynde yen of our soule â–ª and herunto sayth IohnÌ„ in his Apocalipse Collirio â—â—â—unge oculos tuos vt videas Anoynte the yene of thy soule with the blode of Christe that thou myghtest se And saynt Barnarde sayth There is nothynge of so great efficacitie and vertue to purge and quycken the syght of our soule as is the continuall and diligent remeÌ„braunce of the woundes and passion of Christ And therfore sayd saynt Paule Non iudicaui me scire aliquid inter vos nisi Iesum Christum et hunc crucifixum I iudged thoght my selfe to knowe nothynge but Iesus Christe crucifyed So saynt Laurence by the signe of y e crosse dyd gyue syght vnto them that were blynde and so coÌ„uerted them vnto the light of the faith ¶ The meditation of the passion of Christe doth gyue vnto the remembrer thre maner of knowledges Fyrst is the knowledge of god for therby we knowe what mercy and charitie he hath to vs Secondly therby we knowe ourselfe for by it we se manifestlie of what dignytie and howe precious our soules be in the syght of god sithe that our sauiour Iesu god and man wolde put hym selfe to the deth for to redeme our soules The thyrde knowledge is of synne for therby we knowe moste manifestlie howe moche god the father dyd hate synne syth for the destruction therof he wolde nat spare his natural and onely sonne but gaue hym to the dethe for to destroy synne ¶ The .x. profit Iustorum letificat mortalitatem IT maketh a man redy and glade to dye And therfore saint Paule bearynge the signes and tokens of the woundes of our lorde Iesu Christe in his bodye sayde Cupio dissolui et esse cum Christo mihi viuire Christus est et mori lucrum I couit to be dissolued and separate from this bodye and so to be with Christ I lyue here in Christe and for to magnifie Christe and to dye it shuld be great auauntage and profit to me So saynt Andrew went gladly to the dethe of the crosse saynge Hayle holy crosse take me from the compaigney of mortal men and rendre or gyue me to my maister Christe that he by the myght receyue me that by the bought and redemed me Also I rede how that a certen pagane and tyrante meruaylynge how that the Christians myght suffer so great tormentes and paynes and why they went so gladly vnto the deth It was answered to hym by the brother of saynt Victor howe that they haue the remembraunce of the passion of Christe imprinted in theyr hert and therfore remeÌ„bryng what he suffred for them they with great gladnes suffer all paynes deth for his name and loue And the iudge heryng this answere commauÌ„ded to put hym to deth and after that his bodye to be opened and his hert drawen out and so to be kut and deuided and therin they founde the forme and shappe of the crosse and the crucifix most subtilie and curiously made of synewes and vaynes ¶ The .xi. profit Lesorum reconsiliat contrarietatem THe meditation of the passion of Christ reconsileth enemis and induceth a man to the loue of god and of his neghbor And so our lorde sayde in the gospell Si exaltatus â—ueâ—o a terra omnia traham ad meipsum If I be exalted from the erth signifienge therby his crucifieng I shall drawe all thynges vnto me by my loue Also saynt Paule sayth Pacificans per sanguinem crucis siue que in terris siue que in celis sunt He dyd reconsile and pacifie by his blode that he shedde on the crosse both those thyngê that were in erth and those that were in heuens He that feruently remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe is all drawen in to the loue of god and in to the loue of his neighbor And therfore saynt Barnard saith O swete Iesu the cuppe of passion that thou dranke for vs doth cause the to be loued of vs aboue all thyngê There is nothynge that moueth vs so moche to the loue of god as the passion of Christe in the whiche he more laboured and suffred more payne and had more contradiction then in the creation of all the worlde For in his passion and the acte of our redemption some dyd contrarie hym in his wordes some dyd ley in a wayt to take hym with a defaut in his actes dedes some dyd scorne mocke hym in his tormentes and paynes and some dyd rebuke hym on the crosse at his dethe Wherfore who so euer feruently doth remembre this passion of Christ is drawen and reuysshed vnto the loue of Christe god man and so coÌ„sequently he is drawen vnto the loue of his neighbor for y e one can nat be had without y e other ¶ The .xii. profit Meritorum recompensat exiguitatem IT also encreaseth our merites herunto speaketh saynt Austen saynge What so euer grace of merites or goodnes that I want I do vsurpe and take it vnto my comforth of the woundes of my sauiour Iesu Christe for great mercy flowethe from hym nor theyr wanteth no conduites by the whiche they may flowe vnto me Those pyâ—pes and conduites ben the woundes of my sauiour Christe whiche be full of mercy ful of pitie swetnes and charitie And hereof we may perceyue fyrst that this meditation suppleyth in vs that grace and those good meritorious dedes whiche other wyse we be negligent to laboure for ¶ Secondely it may appere that there is no penaunce that may be compared to this inwarde and feruente meditation And therfore sayth that greate lerned doctor Albertus Magnus that this meditation is more profitable than that a man shulde fast one hole yere in breade and water or that euery day by one hole yere he shulde say one hole Dauid psalter or if he shulde discipline and scourge hym selfe euery day vnto the effusion of his blode And no meruayll for without the passion of Christe all our actes and dedes ben vnprofitable as sayth the mayster of the sentence Distinc 16. libro tertio ¶ The .xiii. profit NocumeÌ„torum fugat inopinabilitatem THis meditation of the passion of Christe doth preserue a man from many perylles that may come sodenly before we haue any consideration or knowledge of them Herunto it is writen in the Apocalipse that our lorde coÌ„maunded by his aungell to certen aungelles
to whom he had gyuen in coÌ„maundmeÌ„t to trouble and punisshe the people of the world saynge Nolite nocere terre et mari neque arboribus quoadusque signemus seruos dei nostri in frontibus eorum Noy nat nor hurte the erth nor the see ne yet the trees vnto suche tyme we haue marked the seruauntes of our lorde god in theyr forheedes that is with the signe of the crosse and that we do by the meditation of the passion of Christe In figure herof the aungell that dyd kyl and sley the fyrst gotten both of man and of beest thoroughout all Egipte dyd spare and saue hermles the Iues whose houses or postes of theyr doores were sprynkeled with the blode of the lambe Also saynt Gregory in his second boke of his Dialogê sheweth y t when one certen malicious person purposing to poison saint Benedict dyd gyue vnto hym wyne mixted with poyson he made the signe of the crosse and anone the cuppe brake in to pecys and so escaped the peryll of deth thoroughe the vertue of the crosse ¶ The .xiiii. profit Orthodoxorum speificat timiditatem IT also gyueth great hope and truste vnto faythfull people And herunto saynt Barnarde expounynge these wordes of the canticle In foraminibus petre sayth thus I shall speke these thynges I shall sure abyde and rest in the hooles of the stone that is in the woundes of my sauiour for I haue set my feet surevpon that stone though the worlde frowne and be troubled with me and the flesshe or sensualitie stryue agaynst me and also the deuyll ley in await of me I shall nat fall for I haue set my fete and affection or loue vpon a sure stone I haue offendyd in a greuouse and dampnable synne my soule therby shall be troubled or vexed but it shal nat be vtterly cast downe by dispaire for I shal remembre the wouÌ„des of my sauyour Iesu for he was wounded for my synnes Also saint Austin sayeth Longius opened the side and herte of my sauiour Iesu for me that I myght entre therein And I haue entred therin and do rest there surely quietly The nayles and the spere do call crye vnto me that I may be truely reconsiled vnto Christe yf that I wyll loue hym ¶ The .xv. profite Peccatorum aduocat viuacitatem THis meditacion induceth and bryngeth to man the grace of god whiche is the lyfe of the soule and therefore saynte Bernard sayeth As ofte as that person that deuoutely remeÌ„breth the passion of Christe breâ—â—eth receyueth brethe agayne so ofte he receyueth a new gyft of grace and grace is the life of the soule Phisiciens don say that whan a sicke man wepyth it is a signe token of lyfe So whan a synner wepyth for coÌ„passion of the passion of our lorde it is a signe of the lyfe of grace and quickenes of the soule And therfore sayeth the prophete Hieremy in his lamentacions Spiritus oris nostri xâ—s dominus captus est in pecatis nostris cui dicimus In vmbra tua viuemus Our lorde Christe the spirite of our mouthe that is to saye the spirite whereby our soule liueth lyke as the body liueth by the ayre or brethe receiued at the mouthe This spirite Christe I say giuynge lyfe vnto the soule is taken in our synnes that is he suffred payne dethe for our synnes We shall lyue in his shadow that is we shal haue the lyfe of grace thrughe the deuout feruent remembraunce of that his dethe and passion And so Christe by his blessid passion doeth gyue the lyfe of nature the lyfe of grace the lyfe of glory Fyrste I say he giueth the lyfe of nature for dede men after his passion resurrection dyd ryse vnto lyfe agayne appered vnto many in Hierusalem Secondly he giueth the lyfe of grace for many after his passion were conuerted vnto the faythe And he gyueth also the lyfe of glory as it well appered in the thefe to whom he sayd whaÌ„ he was fast nayled on the crosse Hodie mecuÌ„ eris iÌ„ paradiso This day shalt thou be with me in glory Also hereunto speketh saynt Bernarde sayenge The tree of the crosse yf there be any man that wyll gader it by feruent meditacion doeth burgyn and brynge furth lyfe it fructifieth ioy gladnes it droppeth oile of confort it sweteth the balme of spiritual gracê This tree of life is no wilde vnfruitfull tree to them y t wyll gader it Also saint Austin sayth The blood of the phisicien is shed to make a medecin for the mad sicke soule The soule spouse of Christe sayth in the canticles Sub vmbra illiê° queÌ„ desideraui sedi et fructê° eius dulcis gutturi meo I haue sittten restyd vnder y e shadow of him in whom is all my desyre confort his fruit is swete pleasauÌ„t vnto my taste For who so euer doeth sauourly taste of the fruit of the crosse all carnall pleasure shal be vnsauoury to hym ¶ The .xvi. profite Quassatorum mitigat aduersitatem THis meditacion of the passion of Christ doeth mitigate swage all tribulacions doeth giue pacience in all aduersities so maketh vs quiet Herunto speketh saint Paule sayng Recogitate euÌ„ qui taleÌ„ sustinuit a pâ—toÌ„ribê° coÌ„tradictioneÌ„ aduersê° semetipsuÌ„ vt non fatige mini animis vestris deficieÌ„tes RemeÌ„bre hym that suffred great contradiction of synners against him selfe that is suche rebukes slaunderous wordes at last moost painefull deth that ye by suche remembrauÌ„ce shuld nat faynt in your myndes whan ye suffre aduersities As yf he shulde saye ye can nat faynte or be ouercom in your tribulacions yf ye haue the deuout remembraunce of his paines passion And this approueth saint Austin sayenge There is nothynge so harde or painfull but y t it may be easely borne yf the passion of Christe be quicke ferueÌ„t in our myndes And this is y e reason herof for the lesse passion or payne is nat perceyued or at leest it is nat regarded where as y e more greuous payn or passion is felt or doeth occupy the minde of man And therefore Auicenna sayeth that suche persones as be in feruent agues or axes doeth nat fele or perceiue the apostume And so the passion of Christe yf it be ferueÌ„tly remembred it putteth away all worldly tribulacion For lyke as wyne thoughe it be sumwhat stronge sharpe of it selfe yf it be myxte with suger and other spyces or be put in the potecarye spiced bagge so go thrugh it it is made moost dulce pleasant So the tribulacioÌ„s of this worlde yf they be ioyned mixte with the remembraunce of the passion of Christe they be moche pleasant confortable to the soule And therfore our lorde sayeth vnto his spouse the soule in his canticles Dabo tibi poculum ex vino condito I shall gyue to the Ipocras for
called vppon Christe vppon the blood of Christe that he shed for mannes saluacion continually with a feruent mynde remembred the dethe of Christe that he suffred for vs. And yet these woode raungynge fendes nat ceasyng of theyr importunity but euer busy to deuour this soule by many craftye and deceytfull reasons than this blessyd woman Maris conceyuynge in hyr soule a great trust and confidence in god by the grace of the holy gooste For as Paule sayth where as is the spyryte of god there is lyberty great confidence she I say hauyng great trust in god sayd with a free spirite great boldenes Good lorde I wyll be pledge surety for this soule And thaÌ„ furthwith the daÌ„pned spirites fled vtterly auoyded and the good auÌ„gels cam and toke the soule And so this blessyd woman gyuyng thankes to god went to hyr owne cell prayed for y e sayd soule And afterward as she was iÌ„ deuout prayer in y e day of y e feest of saint Peter Paule for y e sayd soule saint Peter appered to hyr and shewed vnto hyr how the soule of the foresayd woman was in greuouse paynes of purgatorye for as moche as she in hyr lyfe had moche inordinat loue to y e world to the pleasures therof though at her dethe she had very contricion therof And than this blessed woman moued of pitie as she was alwayes full of pitie and specyally towardes the soules in purgatory dyd praye moche feruently and deuoutely for that soule And nat content with hyr onely and owne prayers requyred instantly and opteyned the prayers of many other deuout persons and also caused many masses to be sayd for the sayde soule vnto the tyme she was delyuered from payne and taken vnto ioye and glory eternall Many other examples of hyr pitie and compassion ye may rede in the sayde .xxxi. booke of the hystoryes of Vincent ¶ The gyfte of science or knowledge is opteyned by the feruent remembraunce of the passyon of Chryste The .x. Chapitre THe gyfte also of scyence and kuowledge of spyrytuall and godly thynges is gyuen to man by the continuall and deuoute remembraunce of the passion of Christe thorughe the whiche gyfte man may duely and iustly lyue in this wretched worlde where as flourysshe many frowarde and wycked persons And yet that man that hath this gyft shall lyue godly though he be amonges them for he shall contynue in his faythe and defende it and haue true compunction in his herte He shall absteyne from euyll and wysely admynystre or vse these temporall goodes He shall dyrecte and ordre all his werkes to ryght reason and applye his wyll to the wyll of god Or we may saye that this gyfte of scyence doeth teache vs to beholde as in a moost pure glasse all maner of contemplacion and all maner of pacyence And that is yf we take this gyfte knowledge as a science or knowledge of these inferior thynges in that that they be helpynge and inducynge to the contemplacion and knowledge of spyrytuall and heuenly thynges As be the knowledge of our synnes that we haue done of the benefytes that we haue receyued of god and of the paynes that we haue deserued for our synnes For the fyrste that is for the knowledge of oure synnes it is sayde by the prophete Arguet te malicia tua auersio tua increpabit te scito c. Thy malyce and synne shall reproue the and thy tournynge frome god shall rebuke the therefore know thou and dilygently consyder that it is bytter and paynefull to the to haue forsaken thy lorde god and to wante his feare in the. This maner of science is a very true knowledge and moche necessarye for vs that is to knowe our selfe and so to meke dispise or set lytle by our selfe Of the seconde maner of knowledge that is of the benefites of god I say vnto you that amonges all the benefites that we receiuyd or dayly receyue the greatest benefite of all other is the benefite of our redemption in the which our lorde hath shewed vnto vs a sure argument or ê“fe of his infinit and inestimable loue that was whan he suffred the moost shamefull and paynefull dethe for vs his enemies This argumente or profe doeth engendre and greatly encrease in vs a knowledge moche pleasaunte and also necessarye for vs. Of the whiche knowledge saynt Paule sayeth Non enim iudicaui me aliquid seire inter vos nisi Iesum Christum et huÌ„c crucisixum I haue iudged thoughte in my selfe that I haue non other knowledge amonges you but the knowledge of Iesu Christe crucified The thyrd maner of knowledge that is of the paynes due for our synnes is also necessary for vs the profe or argument thereof that is the knowledge of the paynes of hell or of purgatory hath ben reueled and shewed to many holy sayntes And those paynes of hell ben conteined in these two verses folowynge Sitis esuries â—rigus ignis fetor et horror Tenebre desperantes victi vermesque rodentes That is Thyrste hunger colde fyre stynche and vgsomnes or lothesomnes Darkenes desperacion subiection and gnastynge or gnawynge wormes These thre maner of sciences with many other we may moost specially fynde get in the meditacion of the passion of our lorde And moost of all we shall get moche knowledge yf ye diligeÌ„tly serche the fygures of the olde law correspondynge or signifienge this sayd passion of our lorde For there is innumerable treasure hyd vnder those fygures whiche may be founde with diligent serche In y e which fygures be hyd a meruelouse swetenes of deuocion all maner of scyence and sacietie or full contentacion of the soule for this lyfe For he that is crucified with Christe by the continuall feruent meditacion of his passion shall se how these fygures the scripture of god do shyne in the sayd passion and so by the gyfte of science he shall be eleuate and lyfted vp vnto a meruelouse swetenes of deuocion and vnto an high perfection of contemplacion and that on this maner For fyrste to suche a person that feruently remembreth this passion and depely sercheth these figures shall appere how that the moost hygh goodnes of god the father hath ordryd all thynges muche diligently vnto our profite Secondly it shal appere how the onely sonne of god the father our lord Iesus Christe muche godly and faithfully hath shewed vnto vs all thynges necessary vnto our helthe saluacion Nat onely by his wordes but also by his examples Thirdly it shall appere how the passion of our sauiour Iesu was figured signified from the begynnyng of the world as it clerely appereth in holy scripture What inwarde ioye pleasure shall this be thynke you to that person that feareth these thinges knoweth them All these great and meruelouse thynges were done for vs. And to declare vnto you how all these thynges do figure and signifie our sauiour Iesus
prophete sayeth that it is preclarus that is moche worthy and noble For besyde the premisses it bryngeth a man to the kyngedom of heuens ¶ Example of this spyryte and gyfte of councell The .xv. Chapitre OF this gyfte of godly councell whiche is gyuen to suche as feruently remembre the passion of Christe we may se an example in the forsayd blessed woman Maria de Ogines in the forsayd histories of Vincent whiche speakynge of this holy woman sayeth thus She endued with the spirite of councell wold do nothyng hedlynges nothynge inordinately but she dyd all thynges diligently wysely discretely and with great deliberacion And all though she was inwardely vysyted with the familiar councell of the holy goost and also sufficiently instruct in the holy scripture of god and all by the feruente and continuall remembraunce of the passion of Christe yet for thabundaunt mekenes that was in hyr and that she wolde nat trust to moche to hyr owne wyt and so seme wise in hyr owne sight she vtterly forsoke hyr owne wyll and reason and dysdayned nat to submyt hyr wyll freely gladly to the wyll and councell of other takynge and folowyng theyr mynde and councell This nat withstandynge many of hyr famylyar frendes the whiche had ofte experience of hyr godly wysdom wolde take no great thynge vpon them without hyr councell And that she coulde nat know by mannes wyt or reason after hyr deuout and feruent prayer she had the knowledge thereof by the inspiracion of god One tyme whan one of hyr dere spirituall frendes whiche had a competent pore lyuynge wherewith he was well content so moche the better content for that he lyued quyetly from the turmoiles troubles of the world abstracte and separate from the cumpany of worldly people and all worldly pompe or vanitie This person I say so content and seruyng god in mekenes and deuoute spyryte ▪ was desyred of a noble and great man to be with hym as his maister instructour and councellour he shulde haue all thynges plenteously at his pleasure as meate drynke rayment horse and seruauntes This person after this large offre made asked councel of this blessed womā Mary what he shulde do Than she in no thynge presumynge of hyr owne wyt made hyr herty prayer to god secretely and after hyr deuoute prayers she aunswered to hym and sayde I sawe a great horse prepared for you whiche went or ranne streight way towardes hell I dyd also se a greate company of deuylles ioyenge and shewynge great gladnes thereof Therefore after my councell forsake that offre and continue in that callyng that god hathe called you vnto lesse by suche ambicion worldly pompe ye gyue occasion to the deuyll to drawe you further vnto youre eterne perdicion ¶ By the feruent remembraunce of the passion of Christe the gyfte of vnderstandynge is gyuen to man The .xvi. Chapytre THere is also gyuen vnto man thrughe the feruent and continuall remembraunce of the passion of our lorde the gyfte and spyryte of vnderstandynge wherby we know god nat effēcially as he is in him selfe but by collacion comparyson vnto his creatures as by his effectes operacions creatures as it were by sygnes and tokens Also by this gyfte we receyue a lyght and knowledge of those thynges which we se or here of the scripture of god And this knowledge is contrary to that brute sensuall knowledge wherby man onely knoweth and cleueth fast to these outwarde and vayne thynges nothynge regardyng consyderynge or knowynge his owne honour dignitie for he onely consyderyth these visyble and transitory thynges and wyll nat serche to rede or know inwarde thynges that is what he is nat in substaunce but in grace What is his lyuynge vycyouse or vertuouse How great he is in merytes or in the fauour of god where he is that is in this exyle vale of mysery All these thynges considereth the spirituall person and that by the feruent meditacion of Christes passion For he that is crucified with Christ Iesu by the remembraunce of his most blessed passion ▪ doeth ascende vnto the clerenes of knowledge by the spyryte of vnderstandynge on this maner Whan a man doeth feruently and deuoutly remembre and consyder how that the sonne of god wolde suffre so greate paynes for to redeme hym anone he consydereth of what dignitie and noblenes his soule is that it is of an excellēt great dignitie seynge that the sonne of god wolde suffre so shamefull a dethe for the redemption therof And by this consideracion he is animated and moued to consyder and thynke of hyghe and noble thynges For whan he depely considereth that that mooste precyouse blood of Iesu Christe was shed to wasshe his soule from the fylthynes of synne and also that by that moost blessed passion the ruyne and fall of aungels shulde be repared restored with mankynde anon he dysdayneth to remēbre or ones to thynke of these vyle and transitorye thynges but rather he is prouoked moued to beholde and consydre spirituall and heuenly thynges And yf he consydre or beholde these visible thynges it is for that intent that therby he wolde ascende to the cōsideracion of heuenly thynges so that his cōuersacion is principally in heuyn And thā also for asmoche as he seeth Christe crucified and so subdued vnto manyfolde tribulacions and paynes he in this consideracion onely wyllynge to please god recounteth and thynketh all tribulaciōs and paynes to be very lyght and easy for hym to beare Remembrynge also how moche Christe loued hym that wolde be so cruelly and shamefully entreated and slayne for his redemption he feruentely kyndeled in the loue of Christe laboureth to entre in that moost blyssed syde and hert of Christe whiche he knew was opened with a spere for his loue His soule is burnyng in loue as a fyre And therefore with all his herte he desyreth to be crucified with Christe Hereunto he sygheth and wepyth and feruently desyreth that he myghte be all wasshed or drowned in that passion and so hoolly to be transfourmed into his lorde god crucified He reputeth and thinketh hym selfe to be in bondage and mysery except he be preserued and kept by the blood of his redemer He iudgeth hym selfe to be rather more lyke a beeste than a man except he be clad with his lordes passion It is abhominacion to hym to be negligent in the consideracion and remembraunce of so noble a benefite as is the mercyful werke of our redemption and therfore he is euer or at leest hath a wyll to be euer occupied in the meditacion of the sayd passion For as he wold euer continue in the fauoure of god whiche he gate by that passion and redemption so he wold haue euer in his hert and mynde the passion of Christe the pryce of our redemption He reputeth Christe crucified as his lyfe and all his confort or pleasure and therfore he wolde be euer conuersaunt with hym O what sorow what heuynes is
no wyse man wolde gladlye or lyghtely lese that thynge whiche he bought so derely with his owne preciouse blood yf he might with any iustice or ryghtfully kepe it And so considerynge these she conceyueth in hyr selfe a hope and trust of forgiuenes And thaÌ„ she maketh hyr supplicacion prayer to god for his fauour grace promyseth to make amendes for hyr offences synnes as farre as it is possible for hyr to do ThaÌ„ she beholdeth considereth his house that our Salomon hathe made that is hyr owne body soule how hyr soule is made to that intent that it shulde be the house temple of the holy goost Also she coÌ„sidereth how gloryous goodly this house was made that is to thimage similitude of god And how vylely shamefully she hath defoiled it by hyr owne synne And so she beginneth to haue wonder maruell of the great mercy of god that so mercyfully wolde spare the synfull soule Secondly she beholdeth y e meates of his table or borde that is she coÌ„sidereth how mercifully he doeth nouryssh fede synners with his benefites though indede they be nat worthy to haue the bread that they eate Thyrdly our synfull Saba considereth his ministers seruantes that is she seeth how all creatures were create and made of god for to do seruyce vnto man and how they contynue they obedience and seruyce vnto man though man be inobedient vnto his lorde god creatour maker and so for his inobedience and synne vnworthy the seruice of any creature Fourthely she considereth theyr vestures and garmentes that is how mercyfully our lorde hytherto hath hyd and couered the priuy sinnes of our synfull soule though all thynges ben open to his syght and knowledge Fyftely she seynge his buttlers doeth consyder howe benignely our lorde god doeth byrle and gyue to vs the wyne of contricion and deuocion And therefore the prophete Dauid sayeth Potasti nos vino compunctionis Thou haste gyuen vs to drynke the wyne of compunction and sorow for our synnes Syxtely she beholdeth the oblacions that our Salomon doeth dayly offre that is how Christ offred hym selfe freely vpon the aulter of the crosse for our synnes and how the same body and bloode is dayly offered in the chyrche for our spirituall conforte And this oblacion excedeth all the other benefites of god gyuen to man And thus our quene Saba our synnefull soule hauynge the iyen of hyr wysdome in hyr hede Christe that is beholdynge and depely considerynge all the premisses she faynted and hyr spyryte fayled hyr She had no spyryte that is of synne iniquitie for that hath now lefte hyr And bicause now the holy spirite of god hath entred into that soule the wycked and vnclene spirite is expelled and put away And now finally as Salomon gaue to the quene of Saba many great precyouse gyftes so our kyng that hath wrought our saluacion in the myddest of the erth doeth gyue vnto the soule depely remeÌ„bryng the premisses great treasures of knowledge wysdom of vertue grace that moche more thaÌ„ she deserueth or asketh For whan a man inwardly considereth how he y t was most myghty of power was so dispiteously troden vnder fote for our synnes He that was most wyse was deluded mocked as a fole He that was best and all full of goodnes was replenisshed with the bytternes of sorow And he that was moost rightuouse to be coÌ„dempned to the moost shamefull dethe Whan a man I say coÌ„sidereth all these thynges anon the mynde aryseth into a greate meruell admiracion of y e worthynes noblenes of god wonderynge meruelynge of the great benignitie charitie of god towardes vs moost wretched and vnworthy seruauntes And than begynneth the mynde with a ferueâ—ent desyre and burnynge loue to be kyndled towardes our lorde god And the spirituall taste of our affection in a meruelouse maner is made moche pleasant and swete and our appetyte is wonderfully refresshed And so all our inwarde man is in a maner alienate lyfte vp from hymself and quietly doeth rest in our lorde Iesu O a meruelouse thynge and neuer herde or sene before that is that vnspeakable swetenes shuld be founde in the moost bytternes The moost bytter bytternes of our dere beloued sauioure Iesu is meruelously turned in our louynge mynde into a swetenes y t can nat be expressed rauysshyng and takynge into it the hole spirite of man so that that swetenes ones tasted all carnall and worldly pleasure waxeth all vnsauory and is excluded And in this swetenes is the speculacion or wysdom of the person contemplatynge beholdynge our lordes passion made perfite For herin he ioyneth putteth to gydre the hyghe inenarrable swetenes that he feleth in the consideracion beholdyng of that infinite goodnes of god that it wolde please hym to suffre so vyle a dethe for vs with that inestimable bytternes that he felte or feleth in hauynge compassion of the paynes sorowes of his lorde Iesu crucified And note here that that bytternes of compassion of Christes passion doeth gader in vnyt the mynde of man And thadmiracion or wonderful consideracion of the great goodnes of god in the same passion doeth eleuate lyft vp the mynd so vnit and gadred in offre it holly vnto god And for asmoche as therin is founde perceyued an vnspekable bytternes with an vnspekable swetenes therfore the mynd of the person that beholdeth considereth this wondereth at it so is alienated from hym selfe rauisshed aboue hym selfe lyke as yf he were all drunke he falleth vnto his lorde god where than the soule melted with loue thrughe the beholdynge of thinestimable charitie loue of god is made as moost pure golde purified in the hore furneys And in the consideracion of y e most excellent benignitie goodnes of god the soule is anointed made fat with the moost pleasant oyle of grace It also obumbrate shadowed with that 〈◊〉 of iustice is made moost shynynge The soule also clensed and gadred in with that great bytternes is abstract withdraweÌ„ from all bytternes sorow That soule beholden receyued of god all good is made all godly so at last it is absorpt and rauysshed with an vnspekable ioye meruelouse swetenes And the spousesse doeth reste swetely with hyr spouse and amonges those pleasaunte and swete enbracynges she may than sucke and drynke of the fountaynes of our sauiour the lyuely waters and true wysdome And here note that it perteyneth to this gyfte of wysdom nat onely to beholde consyder godly heuenly thynges but also to rule and order the actes and operacions of man In the whiche direction and order fyrst it aperteyneth to auoyde all euyll vyce that be contrary vnto trew wysdome And therfore the feare of god is called the begynnyng of wysdom for asmuche as it causeth a man to auoyde all euyll and synne The last thynge perteynynge
to wysdom or the ende of wysdom is to reduce all thynges to a due order and ende and this perteyneth to peace For as saynte Austyn sayeth Peace is a tranquilitie of order that is whan all thynges ben brought to a quyet due order And therfore conueniently correspondeth to this gyft of wysdom the .vii. beatitude that Christe speaketh of sayenge Beati pacifici quoniam filii dei vocabuÌ„tur Blessed be the peacefull that make peace for they shall be called the chylderen of god And saynt Austyn sayeth wysdome is agreynge and acordynge to the peacefull In whom is no contrary mouyng or rebellyng but his mouinges ben subdued obedient to reason Sapientia is called a sauory scieÌ„ce so he hath his name a sapore of y e sapour sauour or taste as whan the mynde is touched with the taste of inwarde swetenes he doeth gader in hym selfe all hole by desyre to rest therin lesse yf y e mynde shuld wandre in y e coÌ„sideracioÌ„ of outward thingê it shuld shortly be dissolued by inordinat plesure of y e body or of y e world therfore he gadreth hym self all inward for within he hath that thynge in whome is all his delectacion and pleasure And therefore the spyryte of wysdom whan he toucheth the herte with his swetenes he tempereth outwardly the feruour hete of concupiscence so the concupiscence subdued he maketh peace inwardly to thintent that the mynd of man so hoolly gadred into that inwarde ioye myght fully and perfitely be refourmed vnto thymage of god And therfore it is wryten Blessed be the peacefull for they shall be called the chylderen of god And that for as muche as they haue the similitude of the naturall and onely sonne of god As saint Paule sayth Quos presciuit conformes fieri imaginis filii sui Our lorde hath predestinate and knowen before his chyldren here in erthe to be coÌ„forme or made lyke vnto thymage of his naturall sonne whiche is called Sapientia generata The eternally begotten wysdome of the father And so herby ye may perceyue that those persons whiche receyue the gyfte of wysdom by the deuout and continuall meditacion of Christes passion attayne to be the chyldren of god And this is it that we sayd before that the great charitie of god that apered in the passion of Christ shulde kyndle the fyre of loue to wardes god theyr neighbours in the hertes of all them that deuoutly remembre the same passioÌ„ that thereby they myght be made apte vnto the reparacion of the order of aungelles called Seraphin ¶ Here foloweth an example of this spirite of wysdom The .xix. Chapytre EXample of this spyryte or gyfte of wysdome we rede in the hystoryes of Vincente whiche wrytynge the lyfe of the ofte named Maris de Ogines sayeth in this maner Hyr herte thrughe the remembraunce of Christes passion was inwardely fulfylled with the spyryte of wysdome whereby hyr wordes were very swete confortable and all hyr werkes were made fatte or pleasant with a meruelouse swetenes of the spirituall vnction or ointement She was meke in herte mylde in hyr countenaunce swete in hyr wordes pleasaunt in all hyr werkes and drunken in charitie One tyme whan she had lyen thre days coÌ„tinually in hyr bed there restynge mooste swetely with hyr spouse Iesus Christe hyr ioye and sweatenes was so vehemente that she knewe nat how the tyme passed and so she supposed that she had scarcely lyen the tenthe parte of one quarter of an houre She had many meâ—uelouse and dyuers affections vnto our lord Sumtyme she was very hungery for god and sumtyme meruelouse thyrsty and drye for god And the more she had hym or felte hym the more her desyre dyd encrease And whan he wolde departe from hyr than she was sorowfull than she cryed and desyred hym to remayne and continue with hyr sumtyme she wolde enbrace and hold hym fast in her armes that he shuld nat departe from her and with many teares beseched hym that he wolde shew hym selfe more ofte tymes to hyr Sumtyme by thre days or more as it was sene to hyr he appered to hyr as a lytle chylde lyenge betwyxt hyr brestys whom she enbraced and halsed and hyd hym that he shulde nat be sene of other persons and so she lay kyssyng and playenge with hym as with a chylde Sumtyme he appered as a mylde lambe layeng his hed in her lappe Sumtyme our sauioure appered to hyr as a dowue to conforte hyr Sumtyme she se hym as a shepe or a wedder with a bright sterre in his forehed goynge about the chyrche to vysyte and conforte his seruauntes as she thought And in dyuerse solempne festes of our lorde he appered in dyuerse maners accordyngly vnto the feest As on ChristeÌ„masse day he appered to hyr as a chyld suckyng his mothers brestes or lyenge in y e cradell and than hyr affections was ordered to hym as to a chylde and so accordynge to dyuers apparicions she had dyuerse affections and so thrughout all the festes of the yere In the feeste of the Purificacion of our lady comonly called Candylmas day she se our blyssed lady offre hyr sonne in the Temple and how Simeon toke hym in his armes And in this vision she had no lesse ioye than yf she had ben present at the sayd oblacion whan it was actually don in the Temple of Ierusalem And in the procession of this same feest whan hyr candell was extyncte and without lyght by a long space of tyme sodeynly there cam a great and most clere lyght from heuen dyd light hyr taper or candell On good fryday he appered to hyr as crucifyed and hangynge vpon the crosse but very seldome he appered to hyr on this maner bicause she coulde nat beholde it hyr sorow was so great that she was ofte thereby in peryll of dethe And whan any solempne feest by the course of the yere drew nygh suÌ„tyme viii dayes before that feest she felt in hyr soule a great ioy And so she had diuersities of affections accordynge to the diuersitie of feestes after the course of the yere She se also sumtyme as it were bryght beames cummynge from thymage of the crucifixe dyrectly vnto hyr and so entred into hyr hert And in all these thyngê she had great delectacion pleasure hyr spirit was meruelously coÌ„forted therwith This blessed woman also was moche wery of this miserable life also was in a maner coÌ„tinually sicke for y e ferueÌ„t loue that she had to god coÌ„tinuall desire to be in his presence with him in eternall felicitie But yet in al these desires werynes of this exyle or worlde she had one singuler speciall confort remedie to refressh hyr in this vale of misery vnto suche tyme she might cum vnto that she moost desyred that is she had the heuenly Manna aungels food the sacrament of the auter the very body blood of hyr
lambe eaten whan the deuyll had moued Iudas to betraye Christe and he consented to the same than Iesus knowynge as god that his father had gyuen and taken into his handes and power all thynges also his enemy and traytour Iudas and the Iues his persuers yet to shew and declare his great pytie to leue to vs an example of his perfyte mekenes he wolde nat fulfyll or take vppon hym the power or myghte of god or offyce of a lorde but rather the offyce and roume of a seruaunte He dyd meke hym selfe to be a seruaunt for he cam to do seruice and nat to receyue the seruyce of other And therefore he arose frome his supper of the Paschall lambe wyllynge than to wasshe the fete of his dyscyples there beynge and so causyng water to be brought vnto hym he put of his outwarde garmentes gyrdyd hym selfe with a lynen clothe Than he put the water into a basen with his owne handes and so charitably so honestly and so seruiceably prepared he cam to wasshe his disciples fete that were defoiled with the claye and durte of the erthe for they wente bare foâ—ed And so he wasshed theyr fete wyped them with the clothe wherwith he was gyrte and thus he fulfylled the office of mekenes And whan he came to Petre he wolde nat suffre hym to wasshe his fete but sayd thou â—halâ—e neuer wasshe my fete And Iesus sayde Yf I wasshe nat thy fete thou shalte haue no parte of my blysse with me Than Petre fearynge this sentence sayd â–ª Wasshe good lorde nat onely my fete but also my handes and my hed And Iesus sayd He that is wasshed he nedeth no more to wasshe but his fete for than he is all clene What this signifieth ye shall know afterwarde It foloweth in the gospell of Iohn Ye be now clene for I haue wasshed you but ye all be nat clene This he spake for Iudas that shuld betray hym that same nyghte and therefore he was nat clene There be two thynges specially whereby a man is made clene from synne that is almose dede and charitie Iudas had nat the fyrst for he was a thefe and toke vnto his owne vse suche thynges as shulde haue be gyuen to the pore Also he betrayed his innocent maister contrarye vnto charitie and so Iudas was nat clene O thou chrystyan consyder here dylygentely euery poynte of this wasshynge for they be full of mekenes and loue Beholde what is done for it is very deuoute Here the hyghe maiestie of god and mekenes of the maister dyd enclyne bow hym selfe downe to the fete of pore fysshers He knelyd on his knees and bowed his hede before his disciples syttynge and so wasshed theyr fete with his owne handes dyd also drye them and kysse them all Beholde here the exemplar of all myldenes and mekenes the creatoure and maker of all creatures the fearefull iudge of bothe quycke and deade knelynge here before the fete nat onely of his louynge disciples but also before the fete of the false traytoure Iudas O thou man lerne here of thy lorde for he is bothe meke in herte and gentyll in his conuersacion Be thou confounded of thy hyghe mynde Arte thou nat asshamed of thy pryde and impacience He that is syttynge aboue the high order of auÌ„gels called Cherubyn wassheth the fete of his enemy traytour and thou erthe dust asshes cley exaltest thy selfe thynkest great thynges of thy selfe Consider diligently how our lorde inciteth moueth vs by his examples also by his wordes vnto mekenes Therfore after that he wasshed his disciples fete shewyng thereâ—â— to vs an example of great mekenes he sayd to vs Exempâ—um dedi vobis vt quemadmodum ego feci vobis ita et vos faciatis I haue gyuen to you an example that as I haue done to you so ye shulde do And also he sayde in an other place Discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde Lerne of me for I am mylde in conuersacion and meke in herte And in this he kept a conuenient maner of teachynge For as saynt Luke sayeth Cepit lesus facere et docere Iesus began fyrste to lyue and do well and after that he dyd teache other to do the same Spiritually by this outwarde wasshynge of the fete oure lorde dyd note the inwarde clennes of our spirituall fete which be our loue and aâ—â—ections For these spirituall fete do bere vs where so euer we go froÌ„ our selfe or without vs. And as our bodyly fete hath ofte tymes nede of wasshynge so oure spirituall fete For thoughe we be hoolly clene wasshed by the sacrament of Baptym in so moche that yf we kepe that innocency and clennes that we by that sacrament receyue vnto our dethe we be sure to go to heuyn without any other wasshyng Yet for asmoche as there is very few or non that kepe that puritie of theyr baptysme after that they cum to the yeres of discrecion but y t oftymes they fall in one thyng or other that thrughe the fraile condicion of our mortall nature so that they defoile theyr fete with worldly vayne or carnall affectioÌ„s therfore it is necessary y t they oft wassh theyr fete with coÌ„fession teres of coÌ„tricion For who so euer after his baptym do fall to syn be nat wasshed with y e water of penauÌ„ce he shall haue no parte with Iesu in his glory By this wasshyng of y e fete our lord also doeth note the clennes of our spirituall fete whiche specially is required in the receiuing of the blessed body of our lord And therfore he dyd wasshe the fete of his disciples before he gaue to them his gloriouse body blood to signifie y t spirituall clennes is requyred in the due receyuynge of the sacrament of the aulter ¶ A prayer O Mylde Iesu and the exemplar of very mekenes whiche wasshed the fete of thy disciples I aske and also beseche the lorde purge clense thou myne affections that I so purified in bothe fete kyndled with a double charitie that is with the loue of god and of my neighboure I might surely cum to the my puryfyer and clenser Kepe me clene good lorde vnto the ende of my dayes and clense me frome all spottes of synnes that all my negligencys and also synnes forgotten myne enemyes confounded and rebuked might go fro me at the houre of my dethe whiche specially wyll lye in awayte of me at that houre Directe and order my fete lorde in to the waye of peace that I delyuered from the handes and power of all myne enemies myght blesse prayse the with all they electe seruantes world without ende AMEN ¶ Here endeth the Proheme or fyrste part of this treatyse And here begynneth the seconde parte called the execucion THexecucion of this glasse shal be asentenciouse declaracion of our lordes passion approbate taken of many holy doctours As of saynte Hierom sayntes Augustine Bernarde
conspectu angelorum psallam tibi I shall synge to the or prayse the lorde in the syghte or cumpaignie of aungelles The seconde lesson In that that oure lorde in his age went vnto prayer also continued longer tyme in the same we be instructe in all oure trouble or necessytye to runne vnto prayer And the more that oure necessytye is the more to continue our prayer The thyrde doctrine is taken of this pryncypall article is this that in our prayer we shuld be so feruent and intent thereunto that thrugh the vehemence of our intencion and feruour of our deuocion we shuld swet as it were bloode by conformynge our selfe to the passion of Christe by the feruour of our loue vnto god Hereunto sayeth the glose Ad Romanos 8. That that charitie whiche is in vs by the grace of the holy goost that same doeth mourne that same charitie doeth pray for vs. And agaynst this charitie he that gaue it can nat shyt his eares Moreouer that charitie doeth mourne and pray vnto it droppe blood And that is whan deuocion is so feruently kyndeled in the herte that for the loue of god yf nede requyred he wolde nat be afrayd to shed his blood And therefore pray ye deuoutly and hertely in the maner folowyng or in any other lyke maner after your deuocion ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe sonne of the lyuynge god whiche in thy long prayer wolde be conforted of the aungell and in thy agony swet meruelously droppes of blood graūt to me by the vertue of thy prayer that thy hooly aungell myghte euer assyst me in my prayer and conforte me that I restynge in the swete remembraunce of thy moost bytter passion myght deuoutly swet the droppes of teares for thy bloode in thy syghte and knowledge Amen ¶ Of the vendition or sellynge of our lorde The thyrde article ⧠THe thyrde article is the sellynge of our lorde Whiche sellynge though it began and was promysed before the other two articles that we haue spoken of as whā Iudas went to the prynces of the preestes sayenge to them What wyll ye giue to me and I shal gyue hym in to your handes Whiche was done vpon the wednysday as we sayd before in the fyrst part of this boke At whiche tyme this contracte was than begun promysed As saynt Luke sayeth Pacti sunt ei pecuniam dare et ipse Iudas spopondit The Iues dyd couenaunde and promise to gyue hym money and Iudas promised to fulfyll his sayenge Though I say this sellynge was begun vppon the wednysdaye yet it was nat perfourmed vnto the tyme that Iudas went from our lorde and his apostles after supper vppon the thurseday in the night vnto the prynces of the Iues and there receyued his money that is thyrty pennys of syluer and so was that sellynge perfourmed and this article appered in effecte And it is conuenient that this sellynge be numbred amonges the poyntes of Christes passion for therby he suffered great dispisynge What is nat a great rebuke dispisynge to Christe that he whiche is moost noble and good and of infinite goodnes in whom be all treasures of wysdom knowledge hyd whiche is also lorde of all lordes and kynge aboue all kynges to be estemed and solde for so vyle a pryce Also the sorow of Christe was moche encreased in that that he was solde so vilely of his owne disciple of one of those twelue whom he dyd chose singulerly amonges all the world to be his apostels and messangers And of this the prophet greatly complaineth in the person of Christe sayenge Si inimicus meus maledixisset mihi sustinuissem vtique Yf myne enemye had dyspysed me I shulde quietely haue suffered and borne it And in an other psalme Etenim homo pacis mee in quo speraui qui edebat panes meos magnificauit super me supplantationem O or truely the man of my peace that pretendyd loue and peace to me in whom I trusted for he kept all the mony that we had for the necessities of me myn apostles and also for to releue the pore people whiche eat my bread meat sat at the meat with me This man and pretense frende I say hathe magnyfyed agaynste me his supplantacion his pryuye and mooste craftye treason He craftely and deceytefully hathe trayterously betrayed me and solde me O vnwyse and moost wretchyd and vnhappy marchaunt who hath lerned or taughte the suche marchaundyse that thou shouldest put the pryce of thy marchaundyse to the wyll of the byers that the byer shulde make the pryce thereof Whan a thynge is folde yf it be thoughte precyouse or of any greate valoure the marchaunte that sellyth it wyll nat put the pryce of the same in the arbytremente or wyll of the byer that he shulde make the pryce at his pleasure But yf the seller or marchaunt set lytle or nought by the thyng that he selleth than he regardeth nat yf the byer make the pryce And so dyd Iudas whan he solde our sauioure Iesu Christe For he sayd to the Iues Quid vultis mihi dare et ego eum vobis tradam What wyll ye gyue to me and I shall betray hym and gyue hym into your handes and power As yf he sayd Make what pryce ye wyll and I shall fulfyll your wyll O moost wycked crueltie O moost craftye wyckednes The creature sellyth his creatoure and maker The dyscyple his mayster the seruaunte his lorde the famylyar his moost dere frende There be many now a dayes lyke vnto Iudas which wyl sell forsake iustice for temporall lucre so they sell god that is very iustice So do all they that commyt symony which sell the grace of god or y e sacramentes of the chyrche or els spirituall thynges for temporall thinges As thoo prelates iudges that sell the true iust sentēce that is whiche wyll nat gyue the iust true sentence without rewardes Also thoo religiouse persons prestes y t wyll nat pray say masse or ministre the sacramentes without money All these with suche other be lyke vnto Iudas say with hym though nat in wordes yet in dedes what wyl ye gyue to me I shal betray Christ gyue hym to you Of these maner of persons it is wryten by the Prophete Micheas Principes eius in muneribus iudicabant et sacerdotes eius in mercede docebant The prynces and iudges dyd iudge for gyftes the prestes taught for rewardes And note that the syn of simony is nat onely in the seller but also in the byer or receyuer And so nat onely Iudas dyd synne in the sellyng of Christe but also the Iues in byeng of hym That person doeth bye Christe of me which gyuyng to me any temporall thyng taketh Christ frō me As yf a flaterer wold falsly cōmende praise me where as I am nat worthy by the whiche laude and prayse my hert is exalted in pryde he taketh Christ fro
inwardly sory to be lad with the handes of his enemies so cruelly with so great a cumpany of armed men with suche and so many rebukes and reprouynges bothe in worde and in dede as those mooste cruell Iues dyd vnto Christe at that tyme ledynge That ledyng was also paynfull to his body For though he wente wylfully with them yet they drewe hym with a rope they thrust hym droue hym forwarde and oft tymes they thrust hym downe and ranne ouer hym and so drewe hym thorughe the vale of Iosaphat from the flood or ryuer of Cedron vp towardes Hierusalem ledynge hym with great haste and violence he goynge bare foted and therefore they greuously hurted wounded his moost holy fete in that stony and moost harde waye In so moche that the steppys of his moost hooly fete were dyed and wet with blood For cruelly those Iues whose fete were swyfte redy to shed the innocent blood those Iues I say moost cruelly thrusted hym from the one parte of the waye vnto the other parte or syde But wherfore dyd Christe suffre all these paynes and rebukes but onely to cure the woundes of our fete whiche haue gone to do many a synfull dede and specially the woundes of our spirituall fete and inordinate affections Christe ranne thrugh thornes and breres sechynge for his shepe that was lost He sought hym by the brood stretys and narow lanes and so the watchemen of the citie founde hym they smote hym they wounded hym and toke from hym his pall and garmentes So that it may be well verified of Christ that is wryten in the fyrst boke of Paralipomenon Ex omni parte angustie me premunt Anguyssh troubles paynes oppresse me on euery part Sum doctours don say that what tyme the Iues led Christe towardes Hierusalem thy came by the ryuer water of Cedron the ministres and the people went ouer the brydge but they drew Christe boūden thrugh the water so that the watre entred into his mouthe body At whiche tyme what for the coldnes of the water and also for his longe prayenge in the garden or orcharde all his body was so colde that all his tethe dyd quyuer and shake in his hed for colde Herein were fulfylled the sayenges of Dauid Saluum me fac deus quoniam intrauerunt aque vsque ad animam meam Saue me my lorde god for the waters haue entred into me And in an other Psalme De torrente in via bibet propterea exaltabit caput He shall drynke of the ryuer in the way and therfore he shall exalte his hed And whan they cam to Hierusalem they dyd nat brynge hym in by the same gate that he wente furthe at whan he went to Bethany but by an other gate called the golden gate And it was so called bycause all the golde that was gyuen to Salomon was brought in by that gate and all other thynges y t were of great valour By this gate also was brought in all suche sacrifices as were offered in the temple And for as moche as Christ whan he entred into this worlde he cam in by the golden gate that is by the virgyns wombe it was conuenient that whan he shulde departe from this worlde vnto his father by his dethe and passion that he shulde goo to his dethe by this golden gate And the Iues brought hym in by this gate bicause there sat at that tyme many Scribes and Phariseis for the more suretie that the comon people shulde nat take Christe from them And one doctoure sayeth that in that golden gate were grauen painted the ymages of Patriarches Prophetes in stone werke And at the entryng of Christe by this gate all thoo ymages dyd reuerently inclyne to Christe as to theyr creatour and maker Also this same doctoure sayeth that the multitude of the prestes and scribes went with a great compaigney vnto the forsayd gate cryenge and sayenge Beholde the these is taken the deulisshe person the deceyuer of the people the breaker of the lawe and so they cast durte and clay agaynst hym Also it is sayd that from the place where as they toke and bounde hym vnto the house or palace of Annas ware .iii. M. passys saue .xv. And here note that Christ this day in the processe of his passyon was .ix. tymes led from place to place as we may playnly se in the gospelles Fyrste as soone as he was taken and bounde he was led vnto the house of Annas Secondly from Annas vnto Caiphas Thirdly from Caiphas vnto Pylate Fourthly from pilate vnto Herode Fyftly from Herode vnto pylate agayne Sextly the soudiours led him in to the courte of the comen haulle motehaule or iudgement house where as they mocked hym and put a crowne of thornes vpon his heed Seuenthly Pilate led hym from that place out vnto the Iues cladde in an olde purpure garment and the crowne of thornes vpon his heed Eyghtly Pilate led hym from the motehaule vnto a place called Lichostratos where as he iudged hym to be crucified Neyntly they led hym from thense vnto the mownte of Caluarie where as they dyd crucifie Christe ¶ Here foloweth a lesson IN diuers contreis it is a laudable custome amonges faith full christianes that on good frydaye they go aboute from the mornynge vnto the .ix. houre of the day that is from .vi. of the clocke vnto .iii. of the clocke at after noone and visyte .ix. churches in the remembraunce that Christe that day was .ix. tymes led from place to place as we sayd before And nowe for a lesson they that so visite .ix. churches I wolde they remembred what Christe suffred in euery place Fyrste what he suffred whan he was ledde to the house of Annas and also what he suffred there Secondly what he suffred in Caiphas house and so furth of al other as ye shall se declared herafter in diuerses articles And also that a man myght conforme hym selfe to this article he shulde remembre how obprobriously and shamefully Christe was led lyke a thefe and a rober and in this consideration he shulde haue a full purpose that he wyll with the helpe and grace of god be applyable to all vertue and also to suffre or to do all thynges that shal be to the wyll and pleasure of god And let hym pray as foloweth or in lyke maner Spiritus tuus bonus deducet me in terram rectam Thy good spirite shall guyde and lede me in to a ryghtful contrey Or thus Deduc me domine in semita mandatorum tuorum Leade me good lorde in the pathe of thy cōmaundmentes or any other prayer as god shal put in to your mynde ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche bounde as a thefe and an euyl doer wolde be led by the armed handes of wicked men from place to place with great rebuke and shame graunt to me that grace that I neuer be led vnto any synne throughe the persuasion
sene naked and so moche the more ashamed then all other chast virgyns be in how moch that his honesty and chastitye excelled without comparison the clennes of all other virgyns And whan Iesus was thus naked Pylate toke hym to the saugiours to be scourged as ye shall se in the next article And note here that one doctor sayth that Christ was thryes scourged Fyrste with roddes bycause he dyd trouble and moue the people and there he had .xl. strokes saue one accordynge to the commaundement of the lawe Secondly with rushys of the see whiche be more sharp than thornes and this beatynge was bycause he had preached and taught a newe doctrine And here he was scourged as Heliodore was by the angelles of whome we rede in the seconde boke of the Machabeis Thyrdlye they scourged hym with whyppes ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as Christe had his garmentes pulled of his bdye and was stryped naked so shulde we put of our olde synfull cote and lyfe and make open and naked our coÌ„science before god and his minister our curate by pure and playne confession of all our synnes auoyde all cloke and colour of excusacyon for al thynges ben open and naked before the syght of god And a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article shulde remember howe miserably and with howe moch iniurie and shame Christe was strypt naked and his clothes violentlye pulled of hym And praye thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold haue thy clothes pulled violentlye of thy backe and wolde be strypt naked to be scourged graunt to me that I may caste of from me myne olde synfull cote or lyfe with al his operations by true pure and playne confession of all my synnes and that I neuer apere in thy syght naked from vertues Amen ¶ Howe Christe was scourged The .xxxi. article THe .xxxi. article is the scourgynge of Christe For when Iesus was so strypt naked Pylate delyuered hym to the saugiours The gospell sayth Apprehendit illum Pilatus et flagellauit Pylate toke Christe and scourged hym that is Pliate made hym to be scourged of his saugiours that the Iues as saynt Austen sayth sacyate and content with those his paynes and rebukes shulde desyre no more his death And so he that dyd lowse them that were bounde our sauiour Iesus was bounde fast to a pyllar whiche was so great and thycke that his armes his handes myght nat compas it And therfore the saugiours corrupt by mony drewe out his armes with harde cordes that all the vaynes of his armes appered out to the extremitie And then those saugiours called in all theyr compaigney and our sauiour Iesus so bounde and naked they bette so cruelly with roddes knotted whyppes and thorny rushes of the see that they dyd teare the flesh and drewe it away so that his bones ware sene bare and also greate gobettes and pecys of the flesshe hange vpon the scourges and whyppes There stode naked before all the people the most louely yonge man eligant and sham fast beautious aboue all other men speakynge not one worde but as meake as a lambe dyd suffer pacyently the harde sharppe and paynfull beatynges of those most vyle cruell tormentours That most innocent and tender flesshe most pure and most fayre the floure of all mankynde was replete and full of strokes blomes woundes and brosers he was wounded thorow out all his moste holye bodye so that fro the toppe of the hed vnto the sole of his foote there was none hole skynne That noble and precyous blode of his ranne from euery parte of his bodye the cruell tormentours added plage vpon plage and heped wounde vppon wounde brosynge vpon brosynge blode vpon blode vnto the tyme that both the cruell tormentours and also the beholders were wery of smiâ—ynge and seynge and so he was commaunded to be lowsed from the pyllar And here sayth saynte Barnarde that the tormentours dyd on s lowse Iesus and bounde hym agayne turnynge his backe to the pyllar and bounde his handes aboue his heed that they myght scourge hym vpon bely breste and also his face and so they spared no place of his most tender bodye whose crueltye coÌ„syderynge some of the pagans there standynge and beholdynge this sorowfull scourgynge ranne to our lorde and bracke the ropes and so dyd lowse hym and those cruell tormeÌ„tours not saciate with that scourgyng pulled the heyre of his most blessed berde and also of his heed wherin was fulfylled the prophecye of Esay Corpus meum dedi percutientibus et genas meas vellentibus which auctoritie we declared before in the .xvi. article ¶ But howe many plages or woundes our sauyour Iesus had at this scourgynge it can not be knowen but by reuelacyon for they were in a maner innumerable forsythe scripture sayth Pro mensura peccati erit plagarum modus After the measure of the synne shal be the measure of the beatynges or plages and Christe was scourged for our synnes whiche be innumerable therfore his plages and woundes muste be innumerable And that noted the prophet whan he sayde of Christe A planta pedis vsque ad verticem capitis non est in eo sanitas Frome the toppe of his hed vnto the sole of his fote there was no hoole parte in hym As saynte Hierom sayth Christe wolde be scourged that therby he might deliuer vs from perpetual scourgyngê As a louynge mother seynge the father beatynge her sonne wyl runne bytwixt the rodde her sonne with her armes spred abrode and receyue the strokes to defende her sonne from that beatynge so dyd Christe for vs and therin was verifyed the saynge of the prophet that he spake of Christe sayenge Disciplina pacis nostre super eum et liuore eius sanati sumus The disciplyne of our peace dyd lyght vpon hym that is the beatynges which we deserued for our synnes and were not punysshed for them but lyued in peace and pleasure these beatynges I say dyd fall vpon Christ and so by his woundes we were made hole And after that Iesus was thus scurged they mocked hym in many thynges as it shal appere in diuers articles folowynge ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shuld gladly suffer y e scourges of god so that euery one of vs might say truely with the prophet Ego in flagella paratus sum I am prepared and redy to receyue beatynges And that is conuenient For syth the onely sonne of god was redye to receyue vpon his owne bodye beatynges and scourgynges for our synnes and that at the obedience of god his father moche more then shulde we that be but the adoptyue chylderne of god be redy to suffer gladly the scourges of our father in heuen whiche he by hym selfe or by his ministres doth mercyfully sende to vs for our amendement ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche wolde for me be bounde to a
pyllar and greuously scourged graunt to me that I may pacientlye and gladly beare the scourges of thy fatherly correccyon and neuer to scourge the agayne with my synnes Amen ¶ Howe they put an olde purpur cote vpon Christe The .xxxii. article THe .xxxii. article is the puttynge on of an olde purpull cote for after that Christe was scourged and lowsed from the pyllar they ledde hym so naked and scourged aboute the house to gather vp his clothes which were cast about the house in diuers places by those cruel tormentours and when he hadde founde them and wolde haue put them vpon hym those most wicked saugiours sayd to Pylate Syr this lewde felowe called hym selfe a kynge therfore if it please you we shall aray hym lyke vnto a kynge and so moche scornfullye they brought before hym al the ornamentes coÌ„uenient for a kyng and then these wretches called in all theyr compaigney that they myght mocke Christe asmoche as any of them wolde before that they wolde put hym vnto the deth Pylate paraduenture commaundynge or at leste sufferynge that it shulde so be and that he dyd to mitigate and swage the furie and malicyous mynd of the Iues. Or els as Crisostom sayth The saugiours dyd thus to please the Iues of whom they receyued money Fyrste they put vpon hym a robe of purpull a kynges garment but it was olde to the more confusyon of Christe this garment was conuenient for the bodie of Christe so scurged for it was of red coloure and all his bodye was red with his owne blode And herin was fulfylled the question that the prophet moued in the persons of the angelles saynge Quare rubrum est indumeÌ„tum tuum et vestimen ta tua sicut calcantium in torculari Why is thy clothyng red and thy garmentes as of them that treyd in the presse to the whiche Christe answereth by the same prophet saynge Torcular calcaui solus I alone haue troden in the presse I alone haue suffred the pressure and payne of the crosse of scourgynges and beatynges for the synne of Adam and all mankynde and therfore my bodye whiche is as the garment of my godhed is all red Also this purpull vestment was moche conuenient to Christe for purpull colour is made of the blode or lyquor of a certen fysshe of the see that is called in latyn Murex or conchilium some men call it a Whelke it is a shell fysshe Our sauyour Christe was cladde on good Fryday with .iii. maner of garmentes that is a whyte garment a scarlet robe and a purpull robe to signify that who so euer wylbe of the houshold of Christ he must were the whyte garment of innocentie the reed or scarlet of charitie and obedyence and the purpull of penaunce ¶ A Lesson IN this article we may take this lesson that we shulde hyde and couer our synnes with the werkes of charitie for like as Christ scourged and wounded for our synnes wold be couered and clad with a robe of purpull so we shulde couer and hyde our blody werkes that is our synnes with the purple of florisshynge charitie For as saynte Iames sayth Charitie couereth and hydeth the multitude of synnes Or els by the purpull may be noted the remembraunce of the passyon of Christ Herunto it is writen in the canticles of the spouse of god that is the faythfull soule Come capitis eius sicut purpura regis The heyre of her hed be as the purpull of a kynge for the cogitations of our mynde whiche be signifyed by the heyre of oure hed shuld be diligently and continually occupyed in the remembraunce of the paâ—syon of Christ or els aboute other werkes of charitie And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article and to the .vii. other folowynge shulde diligently remember the acte of euery article with the circumstances of the same And praye thus or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde be clad in an olde purpull robe to thy dispysynge graunte me continuallye to haue in my mynde or to be clad with the remembraunce of thy passyon and to hyde and couer my synnes with the purpul of charitie Amen ¶ Howe Christ was crowned with thornes The .xxxiii. article THe .xxxiii. article is the puttynge of the crowne of thornes vpon the hed of Christe A kynge shulde haue a deademe or a crowne and for this crowne the saugiours writhed a crowne of thornes thurst it harde vpon his hed as a man shuld put a garlande vpon an other mannes hed And this crowne was of the sharpe russhes of the see whiche hath sharp corners and prickes more sharpe and persynge than thornes This crowne they put vpon his hed with the prickes dounwarde vnto his hed not so moche to hurte hym as to mocke hym therwith though they dyd both mocke hym and also moste greuously payne and hurte hym and herunto sayth saynt Barnarde That godlye hed of Christ was persed vnto the brayne with those thornes in so moche that the blode that ranne from his hed dyd wasshe his forhed chekes all his face and necke In this crowne was .lxxvii. sharp thornes of these thornes it was spoken to Adam Terra spinas et tribulos germinabit tibi The erth shall bryng forth or burgen to the thornes and breers for the erth of our bodye doth burgen and brynge forth many synnes whiche with theyr prickes dothe prycke and wounde our conscience as thornes the bodye Christ toke these thorne and bare them as a crowne of victorie These warryours that haue ouercome theyr enemyes are wonte to beare or weare the armoure of theyr aduersaries subdued in a signe or token of victorie and do greatly reioyse therin So Christe the lambe of god whiche hath ouercome the deuyll and taken away the synnes of the worlde and wolde weare a crowne of thornes vpon his hed in token of his victorie For as I sayd before these thornes were our frute and the badge of our armes therfore Christe wolde weare them It is moche pleasaunt and also desyrous to euery louyng soule to se our kyng with this crowne And herunto the spousesse in her canticles callethe all faythfull soules sayng Egredimini filie sion et videte regem salomonem in diademate c. O ye doughters of syon or faithful soules come forth and se your true kynge Salomon Iesus Christ in his diademe or crowne with the whiche his mother the sinagoge of theÌ„ Iues hath crowned hym or els spiritually his mother charitie hath thus crowned hym For as saynt Barnarde saythe Thy loue O blessed Iesu and our iniquitie made the to be scourged and crowned and nayled to the crosse A figure of this crownyng we rede that Abraham se a shepe or a wether fastned by his hornes amonge the thornes in the whiche visyon he spyrytuallye dyd se Christe crowned with thornes ¶ Here folowe .ii. Lessons THe firste lesson of this article is that we euer bere our synnes by
for me wolde be spoyled of thy clothes and syt naked before y e crosse make me to be spoyled or naked from all worldly thynges that be hynderaunce to my saluacyon that I naked myght folowe thy naked crosse Amen ¶ Howe Christ was layde or spred vpon the Crosse The .xlvi. article THe .xlvi. article is the extensyon of Christe vpon the crosse for after they had taken his clothes frome hym and the crosse was made redy they with greate fury toke Christe from his mother Marie not without her great sorowe wepynge sobbyng they cast hym very harde naked as he was vpon the harde crosse lyeng vpon the erth and so cruelly they spred hym abrode vpon the crosse and drewe out his armes and legges as a cloth is stretched drawen out vpon tenters in somoche they drewe hym so that all his meÌ„bres and ioyntes were in a maner out of theyr proper places Of this speaketh the prophet sayng Funes extenderunt in laqueum These moste cruell tormentours haue extended theyr ropes to make a snare for me And in an other psalme Funes peccatorum circumplexi sunt me The roopes of synners haue compassed me aboute and that so sharplye that all his bones myght be nombred and therfore the same prophet sayth of these tormentours in the persone of Christe Dinumerauerunt omnia ossa mea They haue nombred all my bones for they dyd prepare the crosse without aduysemeÌ„t or any mesure takynge of the length and brede of Christes body or els they dyd it of pure malice that is to make the holes so far distance to put Christ to the more payne And when Iesus wyllingly prepared hym selfe to lye downe vpon y e crosse those most wicked and cruell tormentours toke hym by the armes violently and cast his most holye and tender bodye vpon the harde crosse in so moche that therby the crowne of thornes was thurste more fast and farther in to his hed and so put hym to extreme payne O thou christen soule beholde the face of thy sauyoure Christe but howe can thou lyft vp thyne eyne vnto his face to beholde his tormentes without teares And howe can thou thynke in thy herte of his most greuous paynes without sorowe and syghyng And consider what tribulation and sorowe he founde when he saught the. And herby ye may perceyue that this extension doth conueniently make a specyall article for therby Christe suffred a great and greuous payne And therfore the churche doth say and synge in a certen hympne Flecte ramos arbor alta tensa laxa viscera c. O thou high tre of the crosse bowe downe thy branches lawce the bowels that be stretched vpon the. c. This extension or stretchynge forth of the bodie of Christe doth also shewe and declare vnto vs the great effusyon of the goodnes of Christe towardes vs whiche procedeth from his highe and infinite charitie that he hathe to vs. By this extension of his armes and membres vppon the crosse he doth shewe y t he loued vs asmoche as he might gyuynge to vs to gette our loue all that he was in hym self and all that he myght do And that whiche he coulde not expresse by worde for his charitie in vnspeakeable he dyd expresse it with this signe and token of his bodye that is in this extensyon and stretchynge oute of his bodye vpon the crosse And hereunto saynte Bernarde sayth Verylye oure sauyour Iesus is a large and a liberall dispenser stewarde or prouysoure whiche hath gyuen to vs his owne flesshe to oure meate and his blode to oure drynke his soule for the pryce of oure redemption hys woundes for oure remedye agaynste temptacyons hys armes for oure refuge and comforth his crosse for oure shelde his herte for a token of loue to vs his water to bathe and wasshe vs his swette for a medicine to vs his nayles for our sauce his crowne of thornes to our ournament his wordes to our instruccyon both his lyfe and deth to our example These be the .xii. fruytes of the tre of lyfe of whiche saynt Iohan speaketh in his apocalipse These also be signifyed by the .xii. breades or looues that were dayly sette vpon the table in the temple of god called mensa propositionis ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that we shuld extend and streche forthe all our membres and partes of our body in to the obsequy and seruyce of Christe that is our handes and armes to good werkes our fete in goynge to good and godlye places our kneys to knele in prayer and all our senses to holy exercyse of theyr actes and operacyons so that we may say with the prophet Omnia ossa mea dicent domine quis similis tui Al my bones shall say O lorde who is lyke to the there is none so louynge to vs as thou arte therfore we aught to serue the with all the partes of our bodie And herunto saynt Paule exhorteth vs saynge Obsecro vos vt exhibeatis corpora vestra hostiam viueÌ„tem sanctam c. I beseche you that ye so order your bodies that they may be a quicke or lyuynge hoste holye pleasaunt to god and a reasonable obsequie that all thynges be done reasonably Of this extencyon we may take example in the strynges of a harpe or lute whiche wyll make no sowne good and pleasaunt except they be extended and writhed vp And a man to conforme hym selfe vnto this article he may extende all his membres and specyally his armes in the maner of a crosse and that outher standyng or lyenge as his deuocyon moueth hym and also extende all the powers of his saule to the laude and prayse of god and pray as foloweth or in lyke maner ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wold be extended vpon the crosse that so cruelly that all thy bones myght be nombred make me to extende all my membres and powers both of soule and bodye vnto thy laude and praysynge Amen ¶ Howe Christ was crucifyed The .xlvii. article THe .xlvii. article is the crucifienge of Christ for our sauiour Iesus wold not onely be extended vpon the crosse but also wolde be fastened and nayled to the crosse to commende vnto vs his indissoluble charitie wherby he dyd stablysshe our helth Therfore after that those cruell tormentours had so stretched Christe vpon the crosse that the veynes and synnouse were greatly and aboue mesure extended and also the ioyntes of the boâ—es out of order then dyd they crucify hym and nayle hym fast to the crosse bothe his handes and fete and that with great harde and grosse nayles whiche were so blunte and grosse that they bracke both skyn and flesshe synnouse and vaynes and also put the ioyntes of the bones out of order And the cause why he wolde be crucifyed is this for asmoche as our firste parent Adam extendynge his handes to the tre that was forbodden to hym and with his fete going
wounde of his first or left fote that dyd cure and heale oure euyll cogitacyons affeccyons Scripture speakyng of our olde and corrupt man sayth Cuncta cogitatio cordis humani prona est ad malum omni tempore All the cogitacyon and desyre of mannes herte is prone and redy to euyll at all tymes But nowe of man renewed and healed by Christe may be veryfyed this sayenge of the wyseman Desiderium iustorum omne bonum The desyre of iuste men is all good Of these iust men also speaketh the prophet Ezechiell saynge Pedes eorum pedes recti The feete of them be ryght feete for the affeccyons and desyres of good men be not croked frowarde or turned to euyll and that is by the efficacitye and vertue of this wounde of the first or lefte foote of Christe ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may take this lesson that as ofte as we be impugned with euyll cogitacyons affeccyons or vayne desyres we shulde forthwith flye vnto the wounde of this foote of Christ for from thens as from a most pure and holsom foūteyn there floweth to vs an holsom medicine wherwith all the fylthe of our cogitacyons all our corrupte affeccyons and desyres and breuely all our euyl and synne is wasshed and so purified and healed This perceyued wele saynt Austen in hym self when he sayde in his contemplation those wordes that be writen in the lesson of the .xlviii. article A man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde oftymes kysse the wounde of the lefte foote of Christ with the remembraunce of this lesson and pray as foloweth ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wolde haue thy moste holye feete persed with a great grosse hard nayle and so to be fastened vnto the crosse graunt to me y t when so euer I am impugned or troubled with euyl cogitations sinistrall affeccyons and desyres I may runne to the wounde of thy left foote and there to fynde and receyue holsome medicynes for my saluacyon Amen ¶ The naylynge of the seconde or ryght foote of Christ The .li. article THe .li. article is the nailyng of the right foot of Christ By the wounde of this foote our good desyres which of them selfe be feble and imperfyte be strengthed and made perfit For as saynt Paule sayth We be not sufficyent of ourselfe as of our awne vertue to thynke any good thynge but our sufficiencye therin is of god wherfore thoughe our cogitacyons wylles affeccyons desyres be somtyme good of theyr owne kynde and nature yet they be of no value or merit in the syght of god excepte they be dyed or put in the blode of the feet of Christe therfore the prophet sayth Vt intinguatur pes tu us in sauguine Thy foot or affeccyon must he dyed and put in the blode of Christe or els all is without fruyte of eternall rewarde And herunto sayth the glose vpon these wordes Foderunt manus meas et pedes meos They haue delued or digged my handes and my feete he sayth not Transfixerunt or vulnerauerunt They hath nayled or wounded but foderunt they haue delued or digged for the erth that is delued is apte to brynge forth fruyte So Christ digged in his handes and fete brought to vs the fruyt of lyfe and no meruell for he ranne after vs all the dayes of his lyfe with great thyrst and moste feruent desyre of our health ▪ ¶ A Lesson IN this article we lerne how to offre and to put al our good thoughtes wylles affeccyons and desyres into the frutfull wound of the ryght foote of Christ and that with great thankes ioynynge our desyres vnto his desyres at all tymes as it ware by a louynge kysse that therby they myghte be performed and so myght brynge forth good fruyte So Mary Magdalene dyd kysse the feet of Iesu and therby she receyued so plentuouse frute that all her affeccyon and loue were turned in to teares of contricyon compassion and deuocyon and if at somtyme we can not haue good desyres at the lest let vs haue a wyll to haue good desyres as Dauyd sayth My soule hath coueted to desyre thy iustificacyons at all tymes and if we so do then god shall accepte our wyll for a dede A man to conforme hym selfe to this article may oftymes kysse the wounde of the righte foote of the crucifix with the remembraunce of this lesson and then pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche dyd make a founteyne of thy grace sprynge to vs from the holsom and most swete woūde of thy right foote graunt to me that I may fasten and ioyne all my good desyres to that same thy wounde with a louely kysse and to make them conformable and agreynge to thy holy desyres Amen ¶ Howe the crosse with Christe vpon it was raysed vp The .lii. article THe .lii. article is the areyryng vp or lyftyng vp of Christ vpon the crosse for after some doctours Christe was nayled to the crosse the crosse lyeng vpon the erth and after that he was nayled therunto they lyfted hym vp with the crosse and this lyftyng vp and puttynge of the crosse in to the stamp or fote that was fixed in the erth was one of the most greuous paynes of Christ and that was bycause all the weyght of his bodye dyd rest vpon hys handes and fete nayled and therfore when they had areysed vp the crosse and put it downe with violence in to the stampe or foote it dyd so shake the bodye that it rent the woundes of his handes feet in so moche that greate plenty or ryuers of blode dyd flowe or runne out of those woundes and founteynes of our sauiour O blessed Iesu howe swetly and pleasantly was thou conuersant with men Howe greate gyftes dyd thou gyue to men and that in most abundance howe harde and sharpe paynes haste thou suffred for them thou haste suffred harde wordes harder strokes and beatynges and most harde tormentes of the crosse and that in euery parte of thy bodye Man was seake in his heade that is in his intention that is when he dyd any thynge for an euyll intent whiche intention is as it were the heade of the soule Man was also seake in hys handes when he dyd euyll werkes or imperfyte he was also seke in his fete when he had vnclene affeccyons and desyres he was seake in his herte for he had euyl and vayne cocitacyons he was also seake in his hole bodye for he lyued a worldly lyfe after the pleasures of the worlde and of the bodye And for these causes good Iesu thou wolde be wounded first in the heade that thou myght cure all our euyll and peruerse intencyons thou wold be woūded in thy hādes to heale al our sinful remisse operations In thy fete to purge all our vnclene worldly affeccyons thou wolde be wounded in thy hert to clense all our euyll and vayne cogitacyons And also thou wolde be scourged and wounded
and sorowe hope is the parte that is vpwarde feare is downwarde loue of the ryght syde and sorowe of the lefte parte the roote wherof all these do sprynge is charitye And herunto sayth the apostle In caritate radicati vt possitis comprehendere c. Be ye founded in charitie that ye maye comprehende and clerely se with all sayntes what is the length the brede the hyghte and the depenes In these wordes as saynte Austen sayth and also the glose ordinarye is playnly expressed the figure of the crosse and the misterie therof And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shulde ofte remember howe Christ dyd hyng bitwixt .ii. theues and remeÌ„bre therwith this lesson pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me a wretche wolde be crucified bitwyxt ii theues and wolde be reputed as one of them graunte that my spirite may be crucifyed bitwixt the flessh and the world that I may reste quietely in the in the middle the extremes that is the flesshe and the worlde crucified to me Amen ¶ Howe the saugiours diuided Christes garmentes The .liiii. article THe .liiii. article is the diuision of Christes garmentes for when the saugiours had crucified Christe they toke his garmentes deuyded them in to .iiii. partes to euery saugiour one parte for there were iiii hangmen and besydes those .iiii. partes Christ had an other cote that was hole vnsewed or without any seame for it was wouen or knytte Of this cote the saugiours or hang men sayd Non scindamus eam sed sottiamur de ea cuius sit We wyll not cut this cote but cast lottes who shall haue it and herin was fulfylled the scripture whiche sayth Diuiserunt sibi vestimenta mea et super vestem meam miserunt sortem The hangmen deuyded to them selfe my garmentes and they cast lottes vpon my garment This was a great abiection and vilanie to Christ as Crisostom saith for they dyd not so to the theues This thyng is onely done to vyle abiecte and condempned persons that haue nothynge but his garmentes And Theophylus sayth they dyd this to the rebuke and shame of Christ and of a wantones as yf they shulde say scornfully bicause he called hym selfe a kynge we wyll haue iche one of vs some of his royall or kynges roobes O meruelous pacyence and dispensacyon of the mercy of Christ whiche is the very lambe of god a shepe or a lambe doth bothe fede and cloth them that clyp hym and sley hym he feades them with his flesshe and body and clotheth them with his flees So our true lambe Iesu Christe dyd cloth those saugiours with his garmentes and also he feades vs daylye in the sacrament of the aulter with his precyous bodye flesshe and blode ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may note that charitie which after saynt Austen is signifyed by the cote without seames can not be deuyded and yet that same charitie doth knytte vertues togyther And also by that same cote is signifyed one holye catholical and vniuersall churche whiche gathereth all faythfull people in to one fayth which churche faith No man ought to deuyde by any scisme or heresye Of this churche speaketh the spouse in his canticles Vna est columba mea vna est perfecta mea My douue that is my spousesse symple as the douue is one my perfecte spousesse is but one and so theyr is but one churche as theyr is but one god one fayth and one baptisme ¶ A prayer O Iesu whiche for me wolde haue thy garmentes deuyded amonges thy crucifiers and wolde haue them cast lottes for thy vnsewed cote that was wouen or knyt and without seames graunt to me to take parte with thy saintes and to folowe theyr examples in the kepynge of thy commaundementes and that I maye euer keape thy charitie in me Amen ¶ Of the writynge of the title aboue Christes heade The .lv. article THe .lv. article is the superscription or wrytynge of the title for Pylate at the desyre of the Iues wrote a title expressynge the cause of Christes deth and this was it Iesus nazarenus rex iudeorum Iesus of Nazareth kynge of the Iues as if he shuld say Iesus of Nazareth was crucifyed bycause he is the kynge of the Iues. And this title was writen thus to separate the cause of his deth from the causes of the other .ii. that were crucifyed with hym and that for theyr euyll dedes and lyfe The Iues intended by this title as Theophilus sayth scornfully to rebuke the person of Christ which as they sayd made hym selfe a kyng so that the people passynge by and redynge this title shuld haue no compassion vpon hym but rather rebuke hym as a tyrante that wolde haue vsurped the kyngdome But Pylate wrote not as they wolde haue had hym to write that is that he made hym selfe the kynge of Iues but he wrote playnly that Iesus is the kynge of Iues. And herunto saynt Hierome sayth the Iues of enuy and to scorne Christe dyd speake for the writyngâ—of the title but the vertue and secreate power of god dyd ordre it otherwyse in the herte of Pylate thoughe he were ignorant and wyâ—t not what he dyd as the glose sayth For it was god that procured suche a title to be put aboue Christes heed that therby the Iues myghte knowe that Iesus was theyr kynge and that they culd not auoyde though they slewe hym for that purpose y t they wolde not knowe hym for theyr kynge that notwithstandynge it appered by the title that he was theyr kynge for his kyngdom or dignitie was not lost or hyndred by the deth of the crosse but rather confirmed stablysshed and the more strengthed as Bede saythe Also by this title Pylate commended Christe in .iii. thynges thoughe Pylate dyd not so intende for the deth of Christe was firste the cause of the remission of our synnes and that is noted in this worde Iesus a sauiour Secondly the deth of Christ is the cause meritorious of our grace that we haue aâ—d that is noted in this worde Nazarenus that is as moche to saye as florisshynge for by grace we florisshe in all vertues Thyrdly by the deth of Christe we be made enheritours of the kyngdome of god noted in these wordes Rex iudeorum The kyng of Iues that is of all faithfull people that truely confesse god and by this kyng we all shal be kynges in glorie And when many of the Iues had red this title and perceyued that it was to theyr infamy sclaunder sayd to Pylate Noli scribere râ—x iudeorum sed quia ipse dixit rex sum iudeorum wryte not thus the kynge of Iues but that he sayd I am the kyng of the Iues then Pylate sayd Quod scripsi scripsi That I haue writen I haue writen as if he shuld say It is true that I haue writen and therfore I wyl not chauÌ„ge it I wyll not
thus for his manhod whiche then seamed to be forsaken of god for it was subdued to intollerable paynes and most shamefull deth Christ was lefte in great paynes that therby and for those paynes we myghte be conforted of god It was done by a greate miracle that the glorie whiche was in the hygher porcyon of the soule of Chryste dyd not descende and redounde in to lawer parte of the soule but was suspended and letted so that the lawer parte suffred all paynes asmoche as is possible any creature to suffer without death for it was hollye lefte to it selfe without all comforthe whiche was not in the holye martirs in theyr martirdom and deth for the comforth that they hadde in the hygher porcyon of theyr soule dyd redownde vnto theyr senses so that theyr martyrdome and paynes was no greate payne to theym but with greate ioye they suffred them as it appereth in the lyues of saynt Laurence Vincente and many other But oure sauyoure Iesus hadde none suche consolation in his senses no helpe of any persone but all lefte to suffer what so euer was put to hym and that to the extremitie And therfore he compleynethe hym selfe to be forsaken of god whiche myghte not in dede be lefte of god for the godhed was euer ioyned bothe to the soule and also to the bodye but this he spake for vs for he knewe that many of his electe membres shulde come to so greate tribulation that it shuld seame to them that they were vtterly forsaken of god Now blessed be our dearbeloued and moste mercyfull sauioure Iesus whiche fyrst in his awne bodye for vs and nowe also in vs and with vs it pleaseth hym to suffer our tribulation for the tribulation that we suffer for iustyce and for god he reputeth it as hys awne tribulation for he saith Cum ipso sum in tribulatione I am with the good person in his trouble and that is that we shulde more surelye and faythfully truste in hym This payne when he sayd hym selfe to be forsaken of god was moste greuous payne to hym aboue al the other for without this leauyng there shuld haue ben no payne for who so is consorted by god there is no torment that can be paynfull to hym Christe sayde twyes My god and that was to shewe the vehemence of his sorowe both in soule and in bodye And herunto saynt Bonauenture sayth He cryed with a great voyce for he felte great sorowe and specyally for the great vnkyndnes of man for though he suffred for al man kynde yet there were very few present there that toke fruyte therof at that tyme as the thefe that hange on the ryghte hande and the glorious virgyne that was full heuye there by the crosse so that our lorde myght wele say why haue I so vaynly and with out fruyte subdued my selfe to so many great paynes and to deth O blessed lady what sorowe had thou when thou harde thy sonne crye so He cryed also with a great voyce for the synne was great whiche was the cause of all that miserie those paynes and deth For as saynt Ambrose saith He wepte and sorowed for the synne and miserie of them whose nature he had taken ¶ A Lesson OF this article we may lerne howe to haue a recourse to our lorde in all our tribulations and by our prayer compleyne and shewe to hym our desolation that it wolde please hym to beholde our troubles and helpe vs for so our sauyour Christ in his troubles and sorowes cryed vnto god his father saynge My god my god why hast thou forsaken me whiche as the glose ordinarie sayth was not onely a compleynte but also a prayer as it appereth in the psalme of the whiche these wordes be taken for there it is sayd thus Deus deus meus respice in me quare c. O god my god beholde me why hast thou forsaken me Also saynte Paule speakynge of the prayer of Christe seameth to speake of this prayer saynge Qui in diebus carnis sue preces cum clamore valido et lacrimis offerens exauditus est pro sua reuerentia Oure sauiour Iesus in the dayes and tyme of his mortalitie offerynge prayers to his father with a greate crye and with teares was harde for his reuerence ¶ A prayer O Lorde Iesu Christe the sonne of the lyuyng god whiche at the .ix. houre of the day for me most wretched hyngynge vpon the crosse cryed to thy father with a great voyce sayng He li heli lamahazastani That is My god my god why haste thou forsaken me graunt to me that in all my trouble and anguysshe I may cry to the my lorde god with the greate voyce of my herte that so thou neuer suffer me to be reproued as lefte and forsaken of thy mercy Amen ¶ Howe they gaue hym to drynke vinegre or asell The .lx. article THe .lx. article is the drynkynge of vineger for Iesus after all the forsayd paynes and labours beynge thurstye or drye for then all that was written of Chryste in the lawe of Moyses or in the prophetes ware fulfylled excepte one that was writen in the psalme In siti mea potauerūt me aceto In my thyrste they gaue to me vineger to drynke therfore Iesus to fulfyll all the scripture he sayde I am drye Not so to be vnderstande that Iesus therfore was thirsty and therfore they gaue to hym vineger to drynke bycause it was so wryten before by the prophet but bycause god knewe longe before that Chryste shulde be drye and also that the Iues or the saugiours shulde gyue hym vineger to drynke therfore our lord wold haue it writen by the prophet and so in this thirst of Christ that scripture was fulfylled and so in lyke maner vnderstande all the other propheties of Christ Christe sayd Sitio I thyrste And this was his .v. worde that he spake on the crosse for after his longe and continuall labour and payne had all the nyght before and also that same day vnto .iii. of the clocke at after none also for his effusyon and sheddynge of so moche blode and for hangynge so longe vpon the crosse in the heate of the day it was no meruell thoughe he ware drye and of this the prophet also sayth in the person of Christe Aruit tanquam testa virtus mea et lingua mea adhesit faucibus meis My vertue or strength of my body was as dry as a shell and my tonge clyued fast to my chekes for drynes and therfore he myght wele saye Sitio I thrist For they that be let blode be more drye then other men but our sauyoure Iesus was let blode that daye both in scourgyng beatyng crownyng with thornes and crucifyeng besydes his sweatyng therfore it was no meruell if he were drye Saynte Bernarde entreatyng this article sayth O good Iesu why dost thou crye and say Sitio I am thristy Dost not thou knowe that thyne aduersaryes wyl ministre and gyue
gyuen to vs the victorie ouer death by our lorde Iesu Christe And note here after summe doctours that the same houre that our fyrste adam dyd synne our seconde adam Chryste gaue vp his spirite and so the same houre that the fyrste adam by his synne subdewed hym selfe and al his posteritie to death the same houre this second adam by his death distroyed death eternall so that none of his electe chylderne shal be subdued there vnto And the same houre that paradise was shyt frome our fyrste adam the same houre Christe openyd paradyse to vs. ¶ A compassion and a contemplacion of the death of Christe SAynt Bernard entreatynge this artycle sayth on this maner I am sory and haue coÌ„passion vpon y e my lorde kyng mayster and father yea my good brother and most belouyd Iesu more amyable and to belouyd aboue all women whose arowe or dart hath not turne backward thyne arowes ben very sharpe thy doctrine is valiant and myghtie thy sermon and worde is quicke and leuely of moche efficacitie and vertue more persynge than any two edged swerd entryng thorough euen to the deuidyng a sonder the soule the spirite Also thy shyld neuer declined from the batell for thou haste crowned vs with the shylde of thy grace and of thy good wyll The spear of thy prayers neuer turned bac void for y u prayed for thy enemies y t they shuld not perish How more then dost thou praye for thy fryndes and saruauntes Thou art stronger than the lion yea thou art y e lion of the tribue or stocke of Iuda that haste ouercumme the raumpyng lion that runnyth all ouer searchyng whom he myght deuoure Thou art more swyfte than the egle For thou as a giant had great ioy to runne in the waye to fulfyll the misterie of thy incarnation vnto the tyme y t thou as an egle dyd prouoke thy byrdes to flye Thou spred the wynges of thyne armes abrode vpon y e crosse and fliyng ouer vs thou toke vs lefted vs vp and bare vs vpon thy sholders with greate strenght vnto thy holie habitacle vnto the houshold of thy father where for the fedyng of thy shepe and draÌ„me that was loste and by thy passion founde agayne thou madest a great feast and ioyfull to thy fryndes and neyghboures thy holy aungels makyng to them greate ioy for the conuersion of a penitent synner And though thou be suche a myghtie and noble ê‘son yet thou wast condempned vnto the most shamefull death and so thy spirite commendyd in to the handes of thy father and thy heade enclined and bowed downe thou gaue vp thy spirite O all ye that desyre to ioy in our lorde cumme I beseach you and sorowe with me Take hede and behold our myghtye and strong Dauid how he is all to rent with wheppys behold hym whom we most desire and whom the aungelles desire to behold how he is slayn in our batell Wher is thy red rosy colour where is thy beautie where shall thou fynde fayrnes in thy broused bodye Behold our dayes haue decayed and fayled the dayes I say of our most benigne Iesu which onely is the day without all derknes And his bones haue waxed drye as a fier brande he is cut downe as the grasse and his hart hath wydred away he was lyfted vpon the crosse and very greuously hurt and broused And though he was thus shamefully and vilenously arayed outwardly yet he kepte his beautie and fayrnes in wardly Therfore faynt not for hym in thy trobles for the Iues and gentylles that see this person hangyng vpon the crosse which in hym selfe was more beautyouse than all the chylderne of men they I say onely beholdyng outward thynges see hym hauyng nother beautie ne yet fairnes for his face was more lyke to a lepre than a clene man and all the disposicion of his bodie was then very deforme and foule to beholde yet of that deformytie of our redemar dyd essew and flew out the price of our beautie of our inwarde beautie I mean In parte we haue shewed vnto you now the deformitie blaknes or fowlnes of the bodie of moste amyable Iesu but his inward beautie there is no man that can declare for in him restith and inhabiteth the hole diuinitie or godhed let vs therfore be contented to be deformed in our bodie outwardly with our sauiour Iesu shamefully deformed let vs conforme our selfe in our bodye to the body of our true vine Christ that he myght reforme the body of our mortalitie vnto the bodie of his clernes and glorification O death most to be belouyd O passion of Christ most to be desired O meruelouse misteries what is more meruelouse thaÌ„ that death shuld gyue lyfe wondes shuld cure and heale blode shuld purifie and that sorowe shuld enflame and kyndle loue The openyng of his syde doth cople ioyne hert vnto hert Also what is more meruelouse than that the sonne in the eclipse or darked by clowdes shuld shyne more clere and bryght the fier extincte doth more enflame and kyndle the hert the shameful passion doth glorifie and make gloriouse thirst or drines maketh one dronke Nakydnes doth cloth with the garmentes of vertue the handes fast nayled doth louce vs his feet nayled done make vs to ruÌ„ne Christ yeldyng his spirit doth gyue to vs lyfe he diyng vpon the tree doth call vs to heuen the sonne of god is lead to death he is smiten buffetid and beat that is our victorie he is crowned with thornys that cam to breake the thornys of our synnes he was bownd that lowseth them that be bounde he was hanged vpon a tree that reyseth them that be fallen downe the well of lyfe hath vinegre offeryd to hym for his drynke health is wounded lyfe dieth pitie is scourged for the synner wisdom is mocked lyke a fole treuth is slayne as a lier Iustice is dapned for a wicked person mercy is vexed for an infidell swetnes is made dronke with gall life is deade for the deed man All this is the sayng of faynt Austen By the premisses ye may perceyue that Christe suffred death he iuste and ryghtuouse for vs vnryghtuouse he suffred death for vniuste persons by vniuste persones with vniuste persons for vniuste causes and vnder vniuste iudges and also with vniuste paynes and tormentes Beholde therfore thou deuote soule in to the face of thy sauiour Christ and see in hym how he dyd beare and suffre the payne of the crosse that thou shuld folow hym in bearyng the crosse his bodie was naked for our example that we shuld make our confession openly or plainly and nakedly to our gostlyfather without all clokyng or hydyng and excusyng of our synnes his armes was spred abrode vpon the crosse redy to embrace the in a token that he wyl gladly receyue the vnto his grace if thou forsake thy synne he was fast nailed both in handes and feet that thou shuld perseuer and continue in his
spryngeth in y e myddest of paradise whiche doth make frutefull the deuoute hertes and plentiously doth watre all the world This is the doore that was made in the side of the arke of Noe by the which dyd entre all tho bestes men that ware sauyd from the vnyuersall flode Studie and laboure therfore with all thy diligence to haue a recourse vnto the holes of this stone and vnto the caue or den in this stony wall both now in this life and also at thy death there to rest and hide thy selfe that thou myght escape the daunger of the wode lion the deuyl and also that thou myght fynde there plentiouse pasture and fode to thy eternall comforth ¶ And here note that Christ dyd shedde his blode .v. tymes this day for vs. Fyrst in his prayer when he swet blode Second in his scourgyng Thyrd in his crownyng with thornys Fourth in his naylyng to the crosse and. Fyfth in the openyng of his syde as ye haue herde before ¶ Here folow .ii. Lessons FYrste lesson of this article is this that whan we be deade with Christe from the worlde and from all synne then also we shuld be wounded in our hert with the spere of charitie so that we myght say with y e spouse in her canticles Vulnerata charitate ego sum I am wounded with y e spere of charitie Saynt Austen also desired to be wounded with this spere sayng I besech the my lord and kyng my most swete Iesu for thy moste holye wondes which thou suffered vpon the crosse for our health from y e which that most preciouse blode ran out wherwith we be redemyd I besech the I saye to wounde this my synfull soule for the which it pleasyd the to dye Wounde it I besech the with the fiery dart of thy most myghtie loue and charitie Nayle fast my hert to the with the nayle or dart of thy loue that my soule may say vnto the I am wounded with charitie and so sore wounded that from this wounde of thy loue there myght runne the full riuers of teares both nyght and day both of coÌ„tricion compassion and deuocion Smyte I beseach the good Iesu this moste hard flynt my soule with the myghty and sharpe spear of thy loue that it may myghtilie entre in to y e inwardnes or deapnes of my hard hart The second lesson is that we shuld receyue the sacramentes of the churche with that intent and deuocion as if they cam then from the syde and hert of our lorde for that wounde of his syde was as the doore wherby y e sacramentes of the churche com from Christ to vs. For as of the syde of our fyrst Adam sleapynge his wyfe Eua was formed and made so of y e syde of our second Adam that is Christ sleapyng by death vpon the crosse was formed the churche the spouse of Christ By this wouÌ„de as by a dore of loue saynt Austen dyd entre when he sayde Longyne hath openyd to me the syde of Christ with a spear and I haue entred therin and there I surely and quietly reast The nayles and the spear crie to me that I am truly reconsiled to Christ if I loue hym ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me wold haue y e syde of thy deed bodie openyd from whens cam plentye of blode and watre for our health comforth wounde I beseach the my hert with the spear of thy charitie y t I may worthely receyue thy sacrameÌ„tes which flowed out of that thy most holie syde Amen ¶ How the bodie of Christ was taken downe of the crosse the .lxiiii. Article THe .lxiiii. article is the takyng downe of Christes bodie from the crosse For after that our sauiour Iesus had gyuen vp his spirite vpon y e crosse that was about the ix houre of the day the bodie of Christ hang styll vpon the crosse vnto euensong tyme and there abode and taried our blessid ladie and other .iii. women sittyng by the crosse and not knowyng what to doo they wold haue taken downe the bodye and haue buried it but they had no strenght therunto nor yet such instrumentes as ware necessarie for that purpose And to departe leuyng the bodie vpon the crosse they durste not and there to tary or abide y e nyght drawyng nygh they myght not Behold and considre thou deuote soule in what proplexitie they be in and haue compassion on them with all thy herte And as they sat thus in troble and heuines there cam Ioseph of y e citie of Aromathya somtyme called Ramatha where as Helchana and Anna the parentes of the prophet Samuell dwellyd This Ioseph was a riche man and of noble blode and also he was a senatour and had great office in y e courte of the emperour a good man in hym selfe and in y e syght of god iuste to his neyghbour a disciple of Christ but secreate for feare of the Iues he had a truste to come to the kyngdome of god for he dyd in no thyng consent to the cowncell and those maliciouse actes of the Iues. And as saynt Hierom sayth y e fyrst psalme was made of hym Beatus vir c. This holie Ioseph strenghthed thorow theffusion of Christes blode all feare set a part went boldly vnto Pilate not fearyng the malice of the Iues nor yet the powre of Pilate and asked of hym the bodie of Iesu for a great treasure for he preferryd that bodye aboue all erthly treasures though they be neuer so preciouse Pilate meruelyd that Iesus was so soon deed and called to hym a capten of an hundreth men and asked of hym if Iesus ware deed and whan he knew the treuth by that capteyn he gaue the bodie to Ioseph And then Ioseph bought a fayre lynyn clothe for to wrap Christê bodie therin And so Ioseph came not now as a secreat and preuy disciple of Christ but an open disciple of Iesu And also there cam with hym Nichodemus which bifore tyme cam priuely vnto Iesus in the nyght for feare of the Iues but now all feare set a parte he cam with Ioseph and brought with hym of myrre and aloes about an huÌ„dreth pownde weight to anoynt and dresse the bodie of Christ before his buriyng And when they cam nyghe to the place where Christ hang they kneled down and dyd worship our lorde And our ladie perceyuyng that they cam to take downe her soÌ„nys bodie as risyng froÌ„ death her spirit began to quicken and so our ladie receyuyd them at theyr coÌ„myng reuerently And furthwith they prepared them selfe to take down the bodye and our ladie healped as moch as she myght One drewe the nayles out of his handes an other susteyned the bodie that it shulde not fall downe our Lady standyng lifted vp her armes on heyght redy to receyue the body when it shuld com downe and as shortly as she myght touche hym she drew his heade and his handes vpon her sorowfull breste embrasyng and ofte
kyssyng his wondes wherwith she culde not be saciate and what tyme the bodie was taken downe this blessed Lady toke his heade and his shulders in to her lappe and Mary Maglene toke his feet remembryng what grace and comforth she founde by them and all the residue that stode about greatly lamentyd and morned his death ¶ The lamentacion and mournyng of our Lady SAynt Bernard speakyng of this lamentacion of our Lady sayth She lifted vp her handes on height embrasynge and kyssynge the body of her sonne but her sonne dyd not embrase her agayne for his armes ware to stiffe or starke therunto And then that blessid virgyn seyng she culd haue none other solace dyd kysse with a great and faruent desire his woundes and the blode that ran from his woundes In so moch that the face of this sorowfull Lady was made all blodie with the blode of her sonne slayne which thyng in it selfe was very pitifull and moch lamentable to behold that is that so noble a bodie shuld be so shamefully entreated as though it had ben the most vile carion and yet in truth that bodie myght neuer fall to corrupcion for the godhed was continually ioyned therunto which keapte it from al corrupcion And for this cause this article is nowmbred among the articles of Christes passion though this bodye when it was deed felt no payne but yet this blessid virgyn at this time suffred the payne for she was there present with other deuote women And then Ioseph meakly desired our Lady that she wolde suffre y e body of her sōne to be anoynted and wrapped in the lynen clothes and so to be buried but she refusyd to be so shortly departed from her sonne when they wold haue buried hym she wold haue retayned hym and so there was a godly and a pitiouse cōtencion bitwixt them And at last though not gladly yet reuerently she suffred them to take the bodie at theyr pleasure Then this blessid virgyn weapt without comforth and so such aboundaūce of teares flowed from her ien that it myght be supposed ▪ that all her bodie ware turned to watre She washed her face with tearis and also the deed bodie of her sonne specially his woundes and also the stone vpon the which the bodie was layd when it as washed And it is sayd that her teares don yet appere and may be seen vpon y t same stone which is in the entraūce of the churche of the holy sepulcre She washed and dried his blody woūdes and kyssed them and oftymes she beheld his most holie face his woūdes and his heade and there she see the prickynges of the thornys and how the heare was pulled from his berde and also his heade she beheld his face I say how it was defoyled with blode and the spittynges of the Iues and so she culd not be saciat with seyng and weapyng her sorow myght be perceiued but it culd not be declared as it was but she felt it to the extremitie ¶ Here folow .iii. lessons THe fyrst lesson of this article is that the faythfull people receyuynge the bodie of our lorde in the sacrament of the aulcer be compared to them that toke hym of the crosse and it is more to take him in the sacrament of the aulter than downe from the crosse for they that toke hym of the crosse toke hym onely in there armes and handes but we receyue hym in to our mowthes and hertes And as they dyd weappe that bodye in a fayre lynon cloth so shulde we receyue hym in to a pure hert and clene conscience The secōd lesson is that when we be com to that perfection that we be deed to the world and to all synnes so that our bodie be deed as saynt Paule sayth of Abraham and Sara then we may sumwhat release of the rigor of our penaunce and crosse so our lorde wold not discend from his crosse in the tyme of his lyfe but when he was deed he suffred his body to be taken downe The thyrd lesson is that we shuld gladly take Christ of the crosse with Ioseph Aslong as the synner continueth in synne as moch as is in hym he byndeth Christe and nayleth hym fast to the crosse For our synnes ar the cause why Christ was crucified But as shortly as we be turned by true penaūce vnto christ we lowce him take him of the crosse and receyue hym bytwyxt our armes and hādys as Ioseph dyd And as ye see that he which hath an other man bitwixt his armes may doo with hym what it shall please hym if the other man resiste not so the penitent synner embrasing Christ in his armes of loue may doo with Christe and get of hym what so euer he requireth to his soules health For Christ wyll not resiste the penitēt For he is more redy to giue grace than the other is to receyue it And a man to conforme hym selfe to this article shuld ofte remembre these lessons and pray thus ¶ A prayer O Iesu which for me a wretched synner after thy death wold haue thy bodie taken downe from the crosse by Ioseph and Nicodemus and so be anoynted and dressed with swete oyntmētes and spices wold be wrapped in fayre lynen clothes graūt to me worthely to receyue thy blessed very leuyng bodie in the sacrament of the aulter as if I shuld take hym of the crosse and so to anoynte hym with the oyntmentes of vertues that I may continually keape hym in a pure hert and chaste bodie Amen ¶ Of the buriyng of Christes bodie the .lxv. Article THe .lxv. and the laste article is the buriynge of the bodie of Christ For after it was taken of the crosse and dressyd with spices and swete oyntmentes and also wrapped in fayre lynen clothes as we sayd before then they went aboute to bury hym And the time passing Ioseph meakely desired our Lady that she wold suffre the bodie to be buried before that the saboth day shuld entre for then it shuld be vnlawfull for them to doo any such labour or busynes And then our lady very gently and discreatly ordred hyre selfe to them and so crossyng and blessing that body though with great sorow yet reuerētly she suffred them to take the body and bury it And as the Euangelist sayth Erat in loco vbi crucifixus est ortus et in orto monumentum nouum c. In the place where Iesus was crucified there was a garden aud in that garden a new sepulcre or graue cut or hewen out of a rocke of stone and it apperteyned to the same Ioseph And in this new tumbe they buryed the bodie of Iesu And here sayth Simon de Cassia that Christ praynge dyed and after his death he was put in a garden that by his prayer and death there myght sprynge to vs the plantes of vertues of his inuisible garden and that therby we myght deserue to entre the garden of heuenly pleasures moch more pleasaunt than that
sygnifie a thyng in the misticall body of our sauiour Christe that is that the bonys of this misticall body which be the perfite men shuld nat be broken or ouercum by iÌ„pacience in any tribulacion or aduersite but that they shulde continue and abyde vnsuperable redy to suffre all thynges vnto the death And though sumtyme they be ouercum in body that ther body is taken and put to prison and paynes yet in mynde and good maners they be neuer ouercum nor broken And therefore they brake nat Christes legges But one of the sawgiours with a speare dyd thrust Christ to the hert and furth with there cam out watre and blode This man was claled Longius and he dyd thus for the pleasure of the Iues which wold be certified of his death This Longyne was then a cruell and a wicked man but afterward he was conuerted and dyed an holy martyr It is sayd that his syght was very feble and as the blode ran downe by the speare from the hert of Christe by chaunche it toched his yen and furthwith he had his syght clerly and so he beleauyd in Christe lefte his sawgiourshyppe and enstructe by the apostles in the fayth of Christ he leuyd an holie monasticall lyue by the space of .xxxviii. yeares in the citie of Cesary in the county of Capadoce and after that he had coÌ„uerted moche peopâ—e to the fayth of Christ by his holie word and good example at last he was put to death for the fayth of Christe And that watre and blode cam out of the syde of Christe it was done for .iii. causes Fyrst for the multiplicacion of myracles It was a boue nature and a very myracle that pure and very blode and pure and very watre shuld com out of any deed bodie And note here that this blod and watre cam not myxte to gether but fyrst very pure blod and after that very pure watre As Symon de Cassia sayth Secondly it was done for the vertue of the sacramentes For of this wounde they had theyr efficacitie and vertue And herunto saynt Austen sayth super Iohannem the euangelist vsed here a very good and a discreat terme sayng Aperuit latus eius Non percussit nec vulnerauit Saynt Iohan sayth that the sawgiour with his spear dyd open the syde of Christ he doth nat say that he smote or wondyd it but opened it that he myght shew that that wounde was as the dore of lyfe from whens all sacramentes haue theyr vertue as we sayd in the .lxiii. article with out the which sacramentes no man may entre in to y e eterne life specially if they may be had Thyrdly this was done to enflame our loue And herunto saynt Austen sayth One of the sawgioures dyd open Christes syde with a speare that by y t open wounde we myght se and know the loue that Christ had in his hert to vs and so therby loue hym the more strongly and faythfully ¶ The .ix. Myracle THe .ix. Myracle was the buriyng of Christ for it was a meruelouse rare and a thyng neuer hard or seen that a person so vilely and rebukfully hangyd vpon the crosse as Christ was shuld be so honorally buryed of great and deuote persons as he was Of this buriyng saynt Iohan sayth Post hec rogauit Pilatum Ioseph ab Aromathia c. After that Christ was deed Ioseph of Aromathy desired Pylate to graunt and gyue to hym the bodie of Iesu This peticion he made for iiii cauâ—es Fyrst for as Crisostome sayth Ioseph supposed that the malice of y e Iues that they had agaynst Christ had ben endyd seyng that they had crucified hym and therfore he went boldly to Pylate and asked y e body Secondly bycause of his familiarytie that he had with Christ for he was the disciple of Christ thoughe then it was nat openly knowen Thyrdly Ioseph was a good man and therfore he fearyd nat to do a good dede Of his goodnes Symon de Casia sayth We may nat iustly reproue this Ioseph in any thyng whome so seriously the euangelist Luke commendith sayng Ecce vir nomine Ioseph qui erat de curio vir bonus et iustus Hic non consenserat consilio et actibus eorum c. Behold saith Luke a man called Ioseph which was a noble man worldly for he was of the ordre of the court or of the councell of the emperour a good man to god iuste to his neighboures This Ioseph dyd nat consent to the counsell and actes or deades of y e Iues agaynst Christ he dwellyd in Aromathy a citie of Iurie and he trusted also and wayted for the kyngdom of god Som sayth he was decurio bycause he was a captayne ouer .x. men And this office agreith to a mistery for he keapt the .x. commaundementes of god and thus for his goodnes he was bolde to aske of Pylate the body of Iesus Forthly it was for his dignytie for as we sayd before he was a noble man and riche and well accept with Pylate and therfore he went the more boldly to Pylate where as a poore mean man durst nat be so bolde And therfore we may say that it was done of the prouision of god that Ioseph shuld haue that riches and noblenes wherby he myght the more honorably burye the body of our sauiour Iesu c. Of this we spake in the .lxiiii. artycle ¶ The .x. Myracle THe .x. Myracle or meruell was the watche keapyng of the sepulcre for y e Iues desyred of Pylate that they myght haue sawgiours to watch and keape the sepulcre which was a rare and a meruelouse thyng that he which was put to so vile and shamefull death shuld be keapt and watched And note that I do nat take a Myracle here properly and in his most propre significacion but largely as euery rare and vn wonte thyng y t is meruelouse may be called so a myracle And of this maruell we spake sufficiently in the .lxv. article of the second parte Of other myracles that ware shewed that tyme ye shal se hereafter in the treates of Bernardyne of the .xii. merulouse frutes of the tree of life and of the wonderouse misteries of the most holye crosse Also ye haue lyke myracles in the fyrst parte of this boke in the fyrst chapiter of the .v. particle c. ¶ Why Christ wold suffre so many and such greiuouse paynes for vs. Capi. ii HEre sum doctours assygne diuerse reasons as it ware by a manere of recapitulation or rehersynge of suche thynges as haue ben spoken byfore of the passion of our lord sayng that Christ suffred so many and so greuouse paynes for vs for that that he wold by euery one of them take from vs som euyll and gyue to vs som good thyng Which thyng is to be diligently attendyd and strongly also continually to be infixed and prynted in our hert We deseruyd by our synnes eternall heuines agaynst the which